The MThA Rector celebrated festive services of the Procession of the Precious Wood of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord

On the 9th Sunday after Pentecost, the Church celebrates the Procession of the Precious Wood of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord. 

The feast is historically associated with the ancient liturgical Byzantine tradition. The custom of bringing out the Cross of the Lord for a public worship, which was practiced in the Constantinople Church, spread all over the empire at the reign of Emperor Heraclius. In 628-629 he achieved peace with the Persian kingdom and returned Christian shrines to the Byzantine Empire. The most precious relic was the Wood of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord.

As chronicles say, on March 21, 630, the Cross was erected in Jerusalem and with a triumph transferred to the Great Sophia church in Constantinople. According to an ancient manuscript, “…and from then on they go on a procession round the whole city in the month of August, doing that in the remembrance of peace-making with the barbarians as the city is guarded by the power (i.e. the Cross) of the Crucified.” Later, the tradition of the Procession of the Cross of the Lord became a part of the liturgical practice in other Local Orthodox Churches.

On August 13, the Bishop of Zvenigorod Theodorite, Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, officed an All-night Vigil at the Intercession Academic Church co-served by the academic clergy.

After the Polyeleos, Bishop Theodorite read the Sunday Gospel extract.

After the Great Doxology, Bishop Theodorite carried out the Cross of the Lord and established it in the center of the church for veneration.

On August 14, the Rector celebrated the Divine Liturgy co-served by the academic clergy.

After reading the Gospel, Bishop Theodorite addressed an assembly with his archpastoral word. 

After the Sacrament verse, Hieromonk Procopius (Rudchenko) delivered a sermon.

After the dismissal, Bishop Theodorite performed the rite of a small consecration of water and blessed honey brought by the parishioners. 

Background information:

Clergy served at the All-Night Vigil and the Divine Liturgy, Bishop Theodorite, Archimandrite Hilarion (Forkavets), Hegumen Lazar (Gnativ), Hieromonk Barnabas (Losev), Priest Valery Dukhanin, Hieromonk Dometian (Kurlanov), Hieromonk Athanasius (Italo), Hieromonk Procopius (Rudchenko ), Deacon Valentin Mishakov, Deacon Nikolay Goyuk, Hierodeacon Ioanniky (Padjan), Hierodeacon Job (Urum).

Chanting performed by choirs under the conduct of K.A. Alekseeva and K.A. Tarelkina. 

More information about the feast of the Procession of the Precious Wood of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord can be found in the Telegram channel "Indiction" by MThA Associate Professor Priest Mikhail Zheltov.

MThA Press Office