The Feast of the Origin of the Honest Trees of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord is celebrated by the Orthodox Church on the first of August according to the old style and on the fourteenth of August according to the new one. This day is of particular importance as it is dedicated to one of the greatest shrines of Christianity.
Origin of the Honest Trees of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord. History
The cross was found three centuries after the crucifixion of the son of God. The story of how this sacred object for all Orthodox people was found was included in the content of the Akathist to the Origin of the Honest Trees of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord. It tells how, during the terrible persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire, Emperor Constantine appeared, who finally delivered believers from constant persecution and executions. Until that time, the Orthodox were forced to hide their religion and conduct church services in secret, often paying fortheir faith with freedom and even life.
Saints Constantine and Elena
It was during these times that the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine came to power, whose mother, also later glorified in the Face of Saints, went down in history as a person who led the search for the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord. On the Origin of the Honest Trees, these events are recalled in the church service. When Saint Helena undertook a trip to Jerusalem to search for the greatest shrine of Christianity and other relics, her son contributed in every possible way to this enterprise.
The pious queen received a warm welcome from Patriarch Macarius of Jerusalem, who became famous for having made the Ex altation of the Cross of the Lord. When the sacred relic was discovered, according to the Eastern tradition that had developed by that time, he raised the Cross and showed it to the people who were on the streets of Jerusalem.
Feast of the Cross
So he did four times, turning to the four cardinal directions. Archbishop Macarius is also known for advising Elena on the method by which the true cross of the Lord was determined, out of three discovered near Golgotha. This is described in detail in the hymns of the service for the Feast of the Origin of the Honest Trees of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord. The wise old man said that a real shrine should have healing properties. Therefore, the Tree of the Cross was applied to the body of a terminally ill woman, who was cured as a result. According to another version, the deceased was resurrected, who was carriedto the cemetery for burial.
Another great idea of Empress Elena was the construction of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in the Holy Land, on the site where the Cross of the Lord was discovered. But this undertaking of the saint was not destined to come true during her lifetime. After the Equal-to-the-Apostles died, her son, Emperor Constantine, continued the construction. The Holy Cross is a shrine to which two church holidays are dedicated, one of which, the Day of the Ex altation of the Holy Cross, is one of the twelve main holidays of the Orthodox Church, the other, which is called the Day of the Origin (Deposition) of the Honest Trees of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, although it is not the twelfth holiday, but despite this, we are dearly loved by the people.
Russian tradition
A huge number of people usually gather for services and, traditionally held on this day, a religious procession. The origin (wearing) of the Honest Trees of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord is also called the honey Savior. This is one of the three Spasovs known in Orthodoxy. Before and after the service, the consecration of water and honey usually takes place. A few words should be said about the meaning of the name of this holiday. The word "origin" in this context refers to the traditional procession that takes place after the liturgy.
Baptism of Russia
For Russian Orthodox people, this date has another meaning. It was on the day of the Origin of the Honest Trees of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord that Russia was baptized by the holy Prince Vladimir, who was also called the Red Sun by the people. Speciallywhether this particular holiday was chosen in order to hold this significant event, history is silent about this. However, it is possible that the coincidence is not accidental. Although the word "origin" in the name of the celebration is usually interpreted in a less common sense, nevertheless, one must still say about the actual origin of the Cross of the Lord.
On the Origin of Chestna x Trees of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord
According to the version professed by the Orthodox Church, this sacred object was made of three types of wood. After the relic was discovered, Saint Elena Equal to the Apostles decided that the cross should be divided so that believers from several countries would have the opportunity to bow to the sacred relic. One of the parts of the life-giving Cross of the Lord is also located in Russia.
Godin Cross
It was found in a swampy area near the city of Yaroslavl and is now in a monastery located in a small settlement called Godenovo. From this cross, which was made from found wood and placed in the main church of the monastic monastery, several copies were made. They are in churches in different parts of Russia and Ukraine. One of these shrines was in space orbit during the expedition of the Russian-American team of cosmonauts.
Processions and icons
In the procession, which certainly takes place on the feast of the Origin of the Honest Trees of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, the first invariably go the priests who carrywooden crosses in front of you. In churches where there is a copy of the Gaudin cross, the shrines usually participate in the procession. During the service dedicated to this great day, an akathist to the Origin of the Honest Trees of the life-giving Cross of the Lord and a troparion are read. There are also icons that are dedicated to this church date. They are usually painted in the traditional Russian icon painting style by medieval masters.
But there are some features that distinguish them. As a rule, the composition of these icons is much more complicated than on older images. The image is divided into two plans - upper and lower. At the bottom of the icon are depicted praying people and angels performing the rite of consecrating water, and at the top - Christ and the Blessed Virgin surrounded by saints. Representatives of the upper world stand on the rocks, which symbolizes, on the one hand, the difficult path of man to heaven, and on the other hand, the firmness and inviolability of faith.
Feast in Byzantium
The establishment of this holiday is also connected with that circumstance. In medieval Constantinople, numerous epidemics of terrible diseases occurred every year at the end of summer. The doctors of that time did not know how to cope with the misfortune, and therefore it remained only to hope for the mercy of the Lord God.
Prayers were lifted up to the Creator during religious processions, which marched along the main streets of all Orthodox cities, singing the glory of Jesus Christ, and praying to the Lord for mercy andgiving the people salvation from all diseases.
Saving image
In Russia, the holiday began to be celebrated only 500 years after its establishment on the territory of the Byzantine Empire. In Russian chronicles, the reason for its occurrence was explained as follows: religious processions are important for enlightening the people and for blessing water.
Also on this day, they remember the victory of the Russian army over the Volga Bulgars before the battle. The commander prayed in front of the icon of the Mother of God, which holds the baby Jesus in her arms. During the battle, priests were present among the soldiers, who carried the image in the middle of the army. At the same time, the ruler of Constantinople also waged war with enemies and won. The two kings knew each other and knew about the military successes of each.
It must be said that both rulers not only prayed fervently themselves, but also showed by their example how the whole rati should act. When both troops returned to their camps, all the soldiers saw that a miraculous glow emanated from the image of the Most Pure Virgin Mary. The rulers informed each other about this, as well as the bishops of their states, and together they came to the conclusion that a holiday should be established in honor of this event on the first day of August.
Features of the holiday
Even in the Orthodox tradition, this date is associated with the beginning of one of the fasts of the year-round liturgical cycle, namely the first day of the Dormition Fast. The church service is held in the same way as those usually held on the day of the Ex altation of the Cross of the Lord, as well as on the week of Great Lent, that is, on its third week, whenthe acquisition of the Cross of the Lord and the events that happened at that time in the city of Jerusalem are recalled.
It is believed that prayer before the icon of the Origin of the Honest Trees of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord helps in cleansing from sins when performed with proper reverence, repentance and attention. The akathist dedicated to this shrine, like any other example of this church genre, can be performed not only within the walls of the temple, but also at home, moreover, a priest does not have to be present.
The Prefeast of the Origin of the Honest Trees of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord lasts one day, that is, the eve of the celebration is also solemnly celebrated. It was then that the removal of the Cross from the altar and its laying on for worship by all the people took place. It must be said that the tradition of blessing water on the first day of the month existed in ancient Byzantium, from where it was adopted by the Russian Orthodox tradition. In Constantinople, the current ruler of the country usually took part in these events.
Baptism of Russia
Therefore, it is easy to trace the connection of this event with the day of the Baptism of Russia, when several thousand Kyiv people were converted to Christianity at once by Prince Vladimir. There is a legend that Vladimir the Red Sun, realizing the failure of the pagan religion that existed in Russia, decided to accept a new faith, and to choose it he sent his ambassadors to some countries where the main religions were professed in order for them to conclude that in each is the main one. The most convincing was the story of the servants who visited Byzantium and spoke about the religion that was adopted in this state.
Now Prince Vladimir the Red Sun is glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church in the face of saints as equal to the apostles, that is, the person whose deeds were similar in their meaning to the deeds of the disciples of Christ, who spread the Christian teaching throughout the world.
Blessing of waters
The consecration of water in Russia took place and is taking place at the present time before the service and the sermon on the Origin of the Honest Trees of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord or after the service, sometimes before and after. In the old days, for example, under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, places for dipping were arranged on the river in the capital of the Russian state. Such places are called Jordan. In addition to this holiday, they are also made for Epiphany.
After the consecration of water, the consecration of honey takes place. In the old days, this rank was given special importance. After it was held, people were allowed to eat honey from the new harvest. First, the clergy were treated, then the honey was distributed to orphans and the poor. Only after that did all the other parishioners start the meal. Here is what the chronicle says about the celebration of this day in Moscow under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov:that day he plunged into the water, dressed in a light shirt, over which gold crosses with the relics of saints were always put on."
After the patriarch blessed the king, the rite of blessing the water took place. The priests sprinkled the troops standing near the Kremlin, and all the people who had gathered. Water for the palace was poured into two specially prepared silver vessels. Religious processions and the blessing of water were held not only in cities, but also in villages. Not only people dipped there, but also animals. Shepherds drove herds of large and small cattle, as well as horses, to the river. But this happened in places located at a sufficient distance from the Jordan. For the reason that this day is closely connected with the blessing of water, it is also popularly called the wet Spas.
