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Feast of the Exaltation of the
Holy Cross
How did the Armenians celebrate
the Cross
in Marash &
Kesab
 eptember
and October feature three commemorations of the Holy Cross.
Even from the time of the Apostles, the Holy Cross was
recognized as the symbol of salvation for all Christians.
The cross is the place where God, who became human to redeem
human suffering and death, was crucified and died. It is
also the place where He vanquished death through His
resurrection, thereby rendering the cross a powerful symbol
of eternal life.
 he
Armenian cross is symbolic of life in these ways:
the crossbars intersect at
a midpoint that signifies the four corners of the world
meeting at life's center
the "empty" Armenian cross
(as opposed to the Catholic crucifix bearing the body of
Jesus) emphasizes Jesus' victory over death
the appearance of vines,
grapes, and wheat as decorative motifs in the Armenian
cross symbolizes the life generated from the cross which
was otherwise an instrument of death
 very
autumn, the Armenian Church celebrates the Exaltation of the
Holy Cross - the most important of the four feasts of the
Holy Cross.
he
Exaltation, known as Khachverats
in Armenian, refers to the "raising up" or glorification of
the cross. An early tradition identifies St. James, the
brother of the Lord-one of Jesus' 12 Apostles-as the first
to exalt a cross. Taking in hand a likeness (or perhaps an
actual piece) of the original cross of the Crucifixion, St.
James elevated it before the people, and venerated it as a
symbol of "the power of God," praying: "We prostrate
ourselves before your cross, O Christ." Those very words in
Armenian, Khachi
ko,
Krisdos,
yergirbakanemk, are still repeated in our church
services.
 hat
was once an instrument of torture and death became the
symbol of salvation, and victory over
death. We see in the cross the instrument on which
our Lord sacrificed Himself in order to cleanse mankind of
its sins. The cross for us is the instrument of life: a
divine sign that shows the power of life over death.
  rmenians are part of the cross' rescue and
adoration. The most important feast of the cross, it is one of the five
major feasts of the Armenian Church.
 n the
7th century, 629 being the year of Heraclius' march through
ArmeniaThe Persians had seized the cross when they conquered the city
of Jerusalem. Leading a coalition of forces (including Armenians), the
Emperor Heraclius recaptured the cross and passed through Armenia with it
where it was repeatedly raised up and venerated.
he Sunday nearest September 14;
the liturgy is marked with an "antasdan" service (blessing of the fields)
during which the processional cross is adorned with basil and the four corners of the church are blessed as a symbol for all
the world.
n authentic relic of the cross is cradled in Armenian
soil--a cross feast unique to the Armenian Church. In the 3rd century, the nun Hripsime buried a piece of the
cross on Mt. Varak in historic Armenia as a way of protecting it from the
soldiers of Emperor Constantine, who were pursuing her. Centuries later,
a monk by the name of Todik had a dream of a church on Mt. Varak with 12
pillars in the center of which was a radiant cross. The cross then came
to rest over the altar of the monastery of Varak, where Todik discovered the
cross relic. When told the news by the monk, Catholicos Nersess (the
Builder) came to Varak, verified the relic's authenticity, and established a
feast in honor of the discovery.
he rediscovery of all three
of the crosses by the Empress Helena, the mother of Constantine, commissioned an
army to find the true cross. After many years, they found three in
Jerusalem in a rubble heap. When the body of a deceased man was taken
from a passing funeral procession and placed before each cross, the man
miraculously came to life on what was thereafter designated as the one True
Cross.
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