Byzantine Saints: The Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross (14 September)

About this sermon

On September 14, the Church celebrates the Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross, one of the great feasts of the Christian year. This traditional account begins with the attempts of pagan Roman rulers to obscure the holy places of Christ’s Crucifixion and Resurrection. After Christianity was legalized under St. Constantine the Great, the emperor sent his mother, St. Helena, to Jerusalem to search for the Cross upon which Our Lord Jesus Christ had been crucified. After the pagan temple erected over the site was removed, three crosses were discovered near the Lord’s tomb. According to the account, the True Cross was identified when contact with it restored a dead man to life. The crowds begged Patriarch Macarius of Jerusalem to raise the Cross so everyone could see it. As it was exalted before the faithful, the people prostrated themselves crying: “Lord, have mercy!” The feast also recalls the later recovery of the Cross after it had been carried away into Persia. Emperor Heraclius returned it to Jerusalem, but could proceed toward Golgotha only after laying aside his imperial garments and carrying the Cross in humility. As St. Andrew of Crete proclaimed: “The Cross is exalted, and everything true is gathered together.” We bow before Thy Cross, O Master, and we glorify Thy holy Resurrection. 00:00 Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross 00:25 Pagan Emperors Attempt to Erase the Holy Places 00:33 Golgotha and the Lord’s Tomb Covered 00:48 The Holy Places Are Rediscovered 00:56 Constantine the Great 01:20 The Edict of Milan 01:41 Constantine and the Sign of the Cross 01:55 “By This You Shall Conquer” 02:03 St. Helena Is Sent to Jerusalem 02:10 Helena Builds Churches at the Holy Places 02:35 The Search for the True Cross 02:50 The Temple of Venus Is Demolished 02:57 Three Crosses Are Discovered 03:12 How the True Cross Was Identified 03:20 A Dead Man Is Restored to Life 03:27 The Life-Giving Cross Is Found 03:35 Patriarch Macarius Raises the Cross 03:42 The People Cry “Lord, Have Mercy” 03:50 The Exaltation in the Year 326 03:57 Another Miracle of the Holy Cross 04:05 Jude Converts to Christ 04:21 St. Helena Brings Relics to Constantinople 04:29 Constantine Builds the Church in Jerusalem 04:44 Dedication of the Church 04:52 September 14: Feast of the Exaltation 05:00 The Cross Is Captured by Persia 05:21 Fourteen Years in Captivity 05:30 Emperor Heraclius Defeats Persia 05:46 The Cross Returns to Jerusalem 05:53 Heraclius Carries the Cross 06:02 The Emperor Is Unable to Proceed 06:09 Lay Aside the Royal Garments 06:16 Heraclius Carries the Cross in Humility 06:24 St. Andrew of Crete on the Cross 06:32 “The Cross Is Exalted” https://www.oca.org/saints/lives #ExaltationOfTheCross #HolyCross #FeastOfTheCross #TrueCross #ChristianFeasts #ByzantineHistory #StHelen #ConstantineTheGreat #Christianity #OrthodoxFeast #CatholicFeast #ChristianTradition #CrossOfChrist #LifeGivingCross 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 ✝️ SUPPORT THE MISSION 🙏 Donate https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ 📬 Free Catholic Newsletter https://sensusfidelium.com/newsletter/ 📰 Read on Substack https://sensusfidelium.substack.com/ ──────────────────── 📺 WATCH & READ 📺 Sensus Fidelium App https://sensusfidelium.tv/ 📚 Sensus Fidelium Press https://sensusfideliumpress.com/ 👕 Official Merchandise https://sensusfidelium.com/merchandise/ ──────────────────── 🤝 PARTNER WITH US 📣 Advertise on Sensus Fidelium https://sensusfidelium.com/advertise-with-sensus-fidelium/ 🎤 Invite Steve Cunningham to Speak https://sensusfidelium.com/speaking/ ⛪ Parish Formation & Consultation https://sensusfidelium.com/for-parishes/ ──────────────────── 🌎 CATHOLIC COMMUNITY ✝️ Trusted Catholic Businesses https://sensusfidelium.com/catholic-businesses/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴

Topics

• Jesus Christ
• Giving