Feast of the Exaltation of the Precious and Life-giving Cross of the church year represents a key point, which they are linked, as the feast of the Resurrection of Christ, more liturgical celebrations and ordinances. The importance of the Holy Cross, symbol of Sacrifice Saviour Church, his Bride, was highlighted from the time the Apostles and has been with the passage of time, linked to religious services until this feast became one reference cycle Feast calendar Orthodox Church.

Honorable wood of the Holy Cross on which Christ was crucified Saviour was buried along with other relics in Jerusalem devastated by the Romans in AD 70. After converting Saint Constantine the Great, the sign of the cross on which he had seen before the decisive battle with Maxentius It becomes very important for the imperial family, and for new converts. Christians already honored the holy cross and could not only enjoy the imperial family approach in finding timber that was crucified our Lord Jesus Christ. Empress Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine, went to Jerusalem and personally witnessed the ascension of the Holy Cross by Bishop Makarios.

It is not known the exact date of discovery of the Holy Cross, the event datându about 325 or 326. After discovery, Constantine began to build more churches in Jerusalem, where jobs may be committed. In 335 it was consecrated basilica in the vicinity of Calvary and the Tomb of the Lord, called “Martirium”. Day of Dedication (or Dedication) Martiriumului, rotunda Resurrection (Tomb of Christ), and other construction at the site of the Crucifixion and Resurrection was celebrated on 13 or 14 September annually, with great fanfare, and the memory of the discovery of the Holy Cross Dedication day was linked. Fixing the date of the feast of Exaltation of the Cross is related thus Martiriumului sanctification and Resurrection rotunda. According to “Chronicles of Easter” in sec. VII, Exaltation of the Cross ordinance was committed for the first time in the celebrations of consecration of churches in Jerusalem. Only at the end sec. IV Feast of Dedication of the Basilica-Martirium and Rotunda Resurrection Church in Jerusalem became one of the three great feasts of the liturgical year cycle, along with Easter and the Lord’s appearing. In the words cape Egeria at the end of sec. IV, renewal was celebrated for eight days committed each day in the Divine Liturgy. Churches were decorated as Easter or Theophany, and Jerusalem was then visited by many pilgrims, including Mesopotamia, Egypt and Syria. Egeria stresses that renewal was celebrated on the same day with the Lord’s Cross and finding parallels between holiness and sanctification of Christian churches in Jerusalem Temple in the Old Testament.

Sec. V as the church historian Sozomen tells us, the Feast of Dedication was celebrated as splendidly, for eight days, when he was doing and the Sacrament of Baptism. According to a lectionary, kept in Armenian translation in sec. V, the day after the feast Înoirii was shown crowd Tip Cross. Thus, Holy Cross became an additional feast, which included dedicated Dedication ceremony. Since sec. VI, Holy Cross was separated and more Renewal. If the life of Saint Sava sanctuary, consisting sec. VI, also spoke Renewal, not the Holy Cross, St. Mary of Egypt in life already, attributed to St. Sophronius of Jerusalem (Sec. VII), says that Saint Mary went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

The word “exaltation” (ypsosis) designating this feast meets for the first time Monk Alexander (527-565), the author word of praise of the Holy Cross, which is read in this day jobs. Monk Alexander wrote that September 14 is the date of the feast of the Ascension and Renewal, established by the Fathers of the king. Sec. VII, the close link between feasts Dedication and Exaltation of the Cross has ceased, probably because Persian invasion and the destruction of Jerusalem in 614. Then and wood Holy Cross was stolen by the Persians. Later, St. Sophronius of Jerusalem said in a homily he did not know why these two days (September 13th and 14th) day preceding the renewal of Resurrection Church Exaltation of the Cross, and not vice versa. Later, namely Holy Cross became the main feast, Resurrection and Renewal church was united with Forefeast this great feast. Typicon multiple copies of the Great Church, reflecting the order posticonoclastă of Constantinople centuries IX-XII, talking about Holy Cross as a celebration that lasts about five days, including four before the holiday and one that is the feast itself. Of particular importance are Saturdays and Sundays before and after the feast. Worship at Holy Cross began before 10 or September 11 for men and 12 for women to 13 September. Worship is between Matins and noon. September 14 was particularly festive: the eve Vespers are done reading from the Old Testament; in honor of the feast it had been Panihidă (festive service at the beginning of the night); Matins was doing after the order is large feasts (the pulpit); Great Doxology are done by special order of the Exaltation of the Cross. Ascension began at the end of the Divine Liturgy and worship. In typical ierusalimitean, from its editorial offices century. XII-XIII appears fasting on this day. Montenegro’s St. Nicon (sec. XI) wrote that fasting on the day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, even if not indicated in writing, it is still practiced everywhere. According to the order liturgical today, feast of the Exaltation of the Cross cycle consists of înainteprăznuire (13 September) Renewal united church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem, the feast itself on September 14 and seven days before the Leave-taking of 21 September. Compared to other liturgical chants of Feasts, which includes and Holy Cross, not all songs are related to the event feast. Many of these songs are part of the Cross Octoih songs entered on Wednesdays and Fridays of voices. Other songs are part of other feasts dedicated to the Holy Cross ordinances: Removing the Holy Cross on August 1; Appearing in the sky of the Holy Cross on 7 May; Holy Cross Sunday of Lent. I mean all these texts form a unitary body of liturgical chants dedicated to the Holy Cross.