www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Hey y'all
This question is directed principally to Byzantine Catholics, but I would humbly ask that anybody who wants to please join in. I learn a lot by lurking and reading the posts of all the different people on this forum. I was wondering: what are the different devotions surrounding the Exaltation of the Holy Cross? Is it traditional to practice a fast before this day? I had not thought so, but I am no master of traditional devotions or liturgical practice. Could somebody fill me in on this? I apologize in advance for my ignorance on what must be an obvious point for many of you. Thanks.
KH

In the Orthodox East the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is kept as a day of strict fast.

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Dear Ken, yes it is traditional to fast on this day even if it occurs on a Sunday. There are local variations to the service of the veneration itself.

At Matins after the Great Doxology the Holy Cross is brought out on a tray by the priest decorated with flowers, basil, etc. to the singing of the Trisagion (Holy God, Holy and Mighty, etc.) after he has censed the tray. The festal Troparia is sung while the priest places the Cross on the tetrapod and again censes it, and makes three prostrations before the Cross.

He then takes the cross and sings a litany with the response Lord have mercy sung many times (up to 100) while elevating the Cross to the singing of Lord have mercy. This is done around all four sides of the tetrapod. The priest then blesses the people with the Cross to the singing of the festal kontakion, lays the Cross on its tray on the tetrapod and sings the "Khrestu Tvoemy" or "We bow to Your Cross" making a prostration every time with the people (usually the priest sings the first, the people the second, the priest the first half of the third and the people the second half of the third time). The Cross is then venerated by the faithful while the special stikhera are sung by the cantor(s).

Since most Greek Catholic parishes don't have Matins, this is often done at the beginning of the Divine Liturgy for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. And as mentioned above, there are several variations of the service of the Exaltation itself.

As the esteemed posters have already said, the feast is always a fast day since, amidst the joy of the feast, the Passion and Death of Christ are remembered; the Gospel account of the Crucifixion is also read at Liturgy.

Certain Orthodox monastics will observe a two week fast prior to the feast of the Exaltation. I think it may be a Greek practice.

Does anyone know why Russians restrict the Exaltation service with the 100 "Lord, have mercy" to hierarchs and cathedrals and monasteries?

Dave

It's my impression that is a post-Moghilian Moscow rubric. In the Kyivan usage the 100 Kyries are to be taken without distinction for parish or monastic usage, with 3X, then 7X, then 10X with 8 repetitions, then 7X and finally 3X.

In later Ukrainian Catholic usage this developed into to 12 ascending, and 12 descending (24 total) for each elevation. The Athonite usage is to also use 100 times. I have also seen 40 times used per elevation which works nicely if you use 4 repetitions of the Athonite ascending/descending Kyrie Eleison which is metered for 10X.

Aha! I was suspicious this was the case (the sorts of Liturgical and devotional practices which have been described here). I am a member of a very nice BC parish, but I can't say that the traditional practices are always promoted. Let me ask a further question for clarity: people posting explained principally the formal liturgical/monastic practices. Are there in fact distinct tradtional lay practices for preparing/observing this feast? Thank you all for your quick informative replies to date.

Although I can only answer from an Orthodox perspective, regarding fasting, there is no separate directions for lay or monastic fasting. All are to follow the same rule.

There is no "preparation" fast for the Exaltation of the Cross, as there is for, say, the Dormition of the Mother of God, or the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul.

The day itself, like the Beheading of John the Baptist, is called a "strict" fast day, which distinguishes it in the following manner:

Most Wednesdays and Fridays are fast days, which means we eat no fleshmeats (including fish, although some do not follow this on ordinary Wednesdays and Fridays) and no dairy products. However, shellfish is allowed.

A strict fast day is also, of course, no fleshmeats or dairy, but additionally, no shellfish. Some strict fast days allow wine and oil. Bascially, it is vegetarian eating, and at that, only one meal a day. (Some find it helpful to fast during the day, only drinking water and maybe eating a little bread, and then breaking this fast with a vegetarian meal in the evening. If it can be done, this is what I counsel to do. It is more difficult for those who work during the day.) Vegetarian eating at a single meal for the day is the direction given in the rubrics for the Russian Orthodox practice. I'm sure other Orthodox traditions are very similar.

These rules, of course, are for those who are able bodied. A relaxation or dispensation of the fast is given to those who are physically weak from illness, pregnancy, nursing, advanced age, etc...

Priest Thomas Soroka

This is all most helpful. Tell me, is there a source (book, guide, something...) where one can check such information for oneself. Is there a way to compare traditional observances so the various feasts/holy days? Using a forum such as this can be very helpful, but is a little haphazard. Does anyone know of print sources that would apply?

Eastern Catholics should follow the practice of their particular churches.

One good place to start is a regular church calendar which is distributed in most Eastern Catholic and Orthodox Churches. Although it seems overly simplistic, it's a very good guide for fasting. For instance, in our church calendar, it has a "pink/red" day for September 14th, which tells me it's a fast day. Then it says "Strict Fast" which tells me it is a "Strict Fast day" and it also says "wine and veg. oil" which means wine and vegetable oil (as opposed to olive oil) is allowed. That's pretty complete. Of course, you need to know what a "fast day" or "strict fast day" is to read it.

I'm looking for some internet materials for you...

PT

Ken, there is no reason why you can't generally follow Orthodox fasting practices. The Holy Father himself has commented on this point, i.e. that if physically able we need to regain a more traditional observance in this regard as Greek Catholics.

Your parish calendar may have fasting days indicated.

As an aside, a scientific study was conducted of fasting in the Greek tradition and an overall reduction in cholesterol was noted:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/...3698&dopt=Abstract&holding=f1000

So it's good for you.

Dear Friends,

I've been away so I apologise for coming here as a Johnny-come-lately.

I think it is good for any layperson to read over and meditate the liturgical propers and texts for any major feastday before attending Church and prepare, by fasting and prayer, to attend Confession and Holy Communion.

For the Feast of the Dormition, I like to go on pilgrimage to a Studite monastery here that has a copy of a miraculous icon-shroud of the Dormition.

In Belarus, the Cross of St Euphrosynia of Polotsk is used during the Holy Cross celebrations to otherwise add to the already great solemnity of the occasion.

With respect to the Holy Cross, we Easterners observe a cult of veneration that is quite ancient and even unique.

The Cross we wear around our necks is specially blessed to protect us from all evil.

We both kiss it daily and use it to sign ourselves with the Cross morning and evening saying the prayer from Psalm 67: Let God arise and let His enemies be scattered etc.

When we kiss the three Bar Cross, we kiss the upwardly pointing part of the subpedalion or foot-rest where Christ's Feet were nailed saying: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, save, bless and protect me by Thy Holy and Precious Cross!"

We try never to take our pectoral Cross off.

And we fast strictly every Wednesday and Friday throughout the year in honour of the Precious Cross and the Sorrowful Mother of God.

AND we sign ourselves with the Precious Cross very, very frequently and at every turn.

We prepare for the Feast of the Holy Cross all year-round. It is perhaps the one feast that we are continually celebrating.

Alex

Dear Fr., Diak, and Alex.
Thank you for continuing this thread. This is all very helpful.
1) Our parish does distribute a calendar as Fr. mentions, but the different days are not explained. One can find the pink/red days, but there are also different classes of gray days (and the criptic notes seem only to pertain to liturgical instructions). The calendar gives no general instruction on fast/devotion at all, and our parish is sort of "catch-as-catch-can" on such issues.
2) Also, the various practices which are mentioned on this thread: types, levels of fasting, days, etc. Where does one get a comprehensive overview and instruction. The ByzCath homepage will post a notice about fasts for most of the various "biggies", but the instructions are quite terse and one does not hear of the "levels" or options really present in the Tradition. I am not trying to be a complainer; it's just when I stopped to think about all this I realized I had coasted on automatic for a long time and was not really seeking the spirit of penance which the Church really offers (if one can just get his hands on the teaching).
3) So, I think I need a lesson in calendar reading; I need a source where I can study the variations of fast keeping practices and
4) while we're at it here: is it possible for a lay-person of the Eastern persuasion to keep a rule of prayer along the lines of the RC "Liturgy of the Hours/Breviary"? It has always seemed to me that the Eastern Churches, through the leadership of the monastics, keep such prayer, but that there is among them no single, codified guide. I have perused some books intended to help on this matter, but they don't seem to do so. I have also perused liturgical books and few versions of horologia, but I can't figure out the order of the prayers. Any suggestions?

SLAVA ISUSU CHRISTU!

As an aside to this thread, in the city of Presov, Slovakia, this weekend is the Kalvaria, the Pilgrimage in honor of the Holy Cross and the Passion of Our Lord.

On a hillside overlooking the city of Presov is a chapel dedicated to the Passion and Crucifixation of Our Lord and Savior. Every year, on the weekend closest to the 14th of September, there is a BIG pilgrimage with both Roman Catholics and Greek Catholics attending in just about equal numbers.

The pilgrims follow the passion of Our Lord up the hillside, very similar to the stations of the cross but not as many. At the point where Jesus is receiving the Cross from Pilate, the is a staircase with 50 steps. Many of the pilgrims climb this staircase on their knees.

I had the honor of attending this Pilgrimage on my first visit to Slovakia.

The 15th of September is a national holiday in Slovakia. It's the Feast of the Mother of Sorrows, the Patroness of Slovakia and EVERYTHING is closed for the day.

mark

Dear Ken H,

Actually, I think the answer to all your questions is to be found on Fr. Whiteford's Orthodox Liturgical Resources site:

pages.prodigy.net/frjohnwhiteford/resources.htm

There are outlined the Reader Services for the Daily Office or Horologion, together with propers and also other sites that contain articles on fasting, observing the calendar and the like.

Also, if you have a question about anything, you can always e-mail him directly and take the benefit of his expertise.

That is, if you don't get the answer here first . . .

I use his Reader Services and they are great, user-friendly and handy.

You can also use the Jesus Prayer to substitute for Hours e.g. the "minimalist" Rule is: Matins - 300 prayers, Vespers - 150, the day Hours are 50 each, Midnight - 100 and Compline - 200.

Or else it is 1,500 for matins and so on.

We can do the latter Rule when we go on retirement . . .

Alex