ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST

The feast of the Exaltation thus dates back to very early times in Jerusalem and was gradually introduced into other churches, becoming general around the year 720. On this day, the Church celebrates the finding of the cross upon which our Lord died. In the
year 326 the mother of the Emperor Constantine, St. Helena, then about 80 years old and having received some private revelations, journeyed to Jerusalem with the intention of discovering the Savior’s tomb and His cross. Excavations were started under the direction of the bishop of Jerusalem, Macaruis, later honored as a saint. It was said that Jews had hidden the cross in a well or a ditch and covered it over so that Christians might not find it and venerate it. Only few Jews knew the place of its burial. One of them, Judas by name, was moved by divine inspiration to inform the excavators of the spot. He later became a Christian and is honored as St. Cyriacus. On the site indicated, three crosses were found.
These were carried, one after the other, to the bedside of a worthy woman who was at the point of death. The touch of two crosses was of no avail, but upon the touch of that which Christ had died, the woman suddenly recovered. After this happy discovery, St. Helena and St Constantine erected a magnificent basilica over
the Holy Sepulchre, which had been found close by. This basilica was solemnly blessed September 13, 335, and on the following day the cross of our Lord was triumphantly carried to the new building where bishop Macarius himself raised it into public view. The people made prostrations before it and sang again and again: “Kyrie eleison – Lord, have mercy.” St. Helena divided the Cross into three parts, enclosing each part in a silver reliquary, sending one part to Rome, one to Constantinople and keeping the third part in Jerusalem. On September 14, moreover, the Church celebrates not only the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, but also its second finding. In 614 A.D, Chosroes, king of the Persians, having captured Jerusalem, seized the cross and carried it off to Persia. This incident took place
when Phocas was emperor of Byzantium. His successor, Heraclius, defeated Chosroes on several occasions and in 628 A.D. the unfortunate king was assassinated by his own son,
Siroes, who then returned the cross to Heraclius. The priceless relic was first carried in triumph to Constantinople, then, in the spring of the following year, back to Jerusalem by Siroes, upon his own shoulders. He found it extremely heavy. But when at the suggestion of Patriarch Zachary he laid aside his crown and imperial robes, the sacred burden became ight and he was able to carry it into the city.
 

With thanks to St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Catherdral, Edmonton, AB