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Elevation of the Cross September 14th, 2013

Monthly September 2013 Volume 9

Elevation of the Holy Cross

(September 14)

Each year on September 14 the Orthodox Church celebrates the feast of “The Elevation of the Honorable and Life-giving Cross.” This is one of the great feasts of the Church year, and one which has an important historical background. Although one or two of the hymns for the day refer obliquely to the vi-sion of the cross in the heavens, the actual commemoration is not that of Constantine’s vision before his battle with Maxen-tius on October 28, 312 AD. On that occasion, while he was in doubt about the outcome of the impending battle for Italy, he saw in the heavens the arms of the cross stretching far and wide, and the words. “In This Conquer.” The battle won, he did begin to aid Christians, and ended by being baptized himself. The feast of the elevation is in honor of the Cross of Christ. In remembrance of the suffering and death of Christ on the Cross, the day is one of strict fasting. If the birth of the Holy Virgin is the anticipation of the mystery of the Incarnation, then the Cross announces the redemptive sacrifice of Christ. For this reason the feast is celebrated in the beginning of the Church calendar year. The sign of the cross - in Roman times an instrument of shameful death, after Golgotha it became the symbol of salva-tion and victory. Through suffering to joy, through death to victory, through sac-rificial giving to fulfillment of God's will - such is the way of the Redeemer of the world, such is the way of His follow-ers. "Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me" (Mark 8:34). This is not just difficulties and suffering, which on their own do not become the Cross. "To take up your cross" is to reject yourself, defeat love of self, learn to live for others, learn courage, patience, and to faithfully follow Christ. Finding of the Holy and Precious Cross be Empress Helena (mother of St. Constantine) about the year 326 gave a new impetus to the celebration of the cross. With money from the treasury and approval of Emperor Constan-tine, a great church was built over the Holy Sepulchre, and in it the cross was enshrined in a reliquary. This church stood for three centuries before it was destroyed by the Persians, during their series of campaigns against the Empire. Whatever were the early feasts observed in Jerusalem in honor of the Finding of the Cross, they be-came overshadowed by the events of the reign of the Emperor Heraclius, which are what the Feast as it is today does commemorate. When Heraclius was crowned Emperor on October 5, 610 AD, after the overthrow of the unworthy Phocas, the provinces on all sides were overrun by the Persians, Avars, and Slavs. He started on a series of internal reforms, such as canceling the dole of grain, which enabled a great many able-bodied loafers in Constantinople to spend their time attending the circus and games instead of doing something useful, and in trying to improve the finances of the government. He embarked on a series of campaigns in due course of time to re-establish Byzantine rule in the neighboring parts of the Empire. The Persians had for some years been harassing Syria and Asia Minor, and in 613 AD they attacked the city of Damascus. The next year they took Jerusalem, and left a garrison in charge of the city. The population revolted as soon as the main body of the invading army left, and slaughtered the garri-son. This brought back the conquerors, who are said to have killed 90,000 of the inhabitants, sparing only the Jews who aided them in the conquest. They took the Patriarch Zacharias and the case containing the relics of the cross back to Persia with them.

This event was regarded by all the Christians as the greatest possible disaster, since they regarded the sacred relics as the palladium of the city. Added to this was the insolence of Chosroes, King of the Per-sians, who taunted the Christians with their religion and their Lord, who so obviously had failed to deliver them. For the next eight years Heraclius was busy with the Avars, and was not able to go out against the Persians until 622 AD. He waged six campaigns between 622 and 627, and finally defeated Chosroes and his generals decisively, but at great cost. The Empire was in great danger: in 626 AD the Persians were in Asia Minor right across the Bosporus from the City, while their barbarian allies were encamped on the north in Thrace. But Heraclius managed to fight them all off, and restore some control. He brought back to Jerusalem the Patriarch and the relics of the cross, which had not been molested. The populace demanded to see and venerate the relics, and accordingly they were solemnly elevated for all to see and reverence. The Emperor took a part of the sacred wood back to Constantinople with him. From the time of the finding of the cross by the Empress Helena, small bits of the wood were sent all over the world as most sacred relics, and the part which remained, although large, was still portable. The hard-won peace of 626 AD left both the Persian anti Byzantine empires exhausted. At this very time a new danger appeared on the horizon: both Chosroes and Heraclius received letters from the Arab Mo-hammed, who invited them to adopt Islam, his newly founded faith. They both declined, but their contacts with the Moslems were to be many and difficult. In 629 AD Arab attacks on the empires began, and in 635 AD Damascus was taken, and Jerusalem in 637. Heraclius went back to Jerusalem and removed the sa-cred relics to Constantinople for safe keeping, but the Patriarch remained behind to greet the new rulers. The ceremony of Elevation as performed in Church is actually a patriotic one, with prayers for the Rulers and their people, for Church and State, and for their establishment and preservation. The key to the obser-vance is to be found in the Hymn for the Feast, the Troparion, which runs as follows: “Lord, save Your people and bless Your inheritance, granting our rulers to prevail over adversaries, and protecting Your commonwealth by Your Cross.” To the Byzantines, their Empire was the civilized world, the Oikoumene, the habitation of law and order; outside the pale were the barbarians, the people who spoke some other language that no one could un-derstand, and whose ways were violent and strange. The Christian religion was a part of this, the vehicle of salvation and civilization. This is the heritage that was transmitted down through the ages by the Byzan-tine Empire, the struggle for civilization against the power of the destroyers. When we celebrate the feast today, we should have this in mind; it is apt that the Feast of the Cross is always a Fast. This paradox is striking, but accentuates the understanding our ancestors had that victory comes hard, and that nothing good is achieved without sacrifice. What should be our response to Jesus’ sacrificial love, to His death on the cross for our sins? Our re-sponse would be reflected in our attitude to-ward life, and toward all human be-ings as a whole. If our atti-tude to-ward people is one of honest sym-pathy, understanding and love, if we live sacrificially, giving of our time and means toward the elevation of humanity, living lives that have for their purpose putting God first, and the affairs of His Kingdom are given the pre-eminence, then it may be truthfully said that we know whom we have believed, we have a clear vision of the Man upon the cross. The early Christians went through the Roman world telling people about a man who had been crucified and who rose from the dead. It was an arresting item of news. At first the listener would be shocked, but as the story unfolded and its meaning be-came clear, new hope and joy lighted up his face, for he found in this old story of the Galilean Peasant nailed to a cross a satisfying view of life. It turned a flood light on the mystery of human existence; it revealed the se-cret of living triumphantly over the things that get people down; it satisfied the age-old hunger for life beyond the grave. The striking thing about this good news was that the road to life un-ending led by way of the cross. By giv-ing your life you find life. By answering evil with good, hate with love, the world’s worst with your best, you rise with Christ from the dead! You and He were as One! Fr. Vasile Mihai

Explanation of the Icon of Elevation of the Cross Apart from Good Friday (see the icon of the Crucifixion), the theme of the Cross recurs constantly in the offices of the weekly cycle, every Wednesday and Friday of the Liturgical year. Further, the Orthodox East has devoted to the Lord's Cross three special festivals: the Adoration (Προσκυνησις, third Sunday in Lent), the Procession (Προοδος, August 1st) and the Elevation (Υψωσις) of the Holy Cross, celebrated on September 14th in the' West as well as in the East.

The festival of the Elevation (Raising) of the Cross originated in Palestine. Instituted to commemorate the dedi-cation of the basilica of the Resurrection, erected by Constan-tine in Jerusalem, the "festival of the Dedication" (Τα εγκαινια) was soon associated with the commemoration of the discov-ery of the true Cross. Eusebius, describing the dedication ceremony which took place in 335, says nothing of the dis-covery of the Cross. But St. Cyril of Jerusalem, in 347, says this: "Already the whole universe is filled with fragments of the Wood of the Cross." Thus the finding of the Cross must have taken place shortly after the Dedication, around the year 340. The legend of Edessa sought to attribute the discovery of the Cross to Protinicia, wife of the vice-emperor Claudius, in the reign of Tiberius. But the more likely account of the discovery of the Cross by St. Helen, Constantine's mother, was to be uni-versally accepted towards the end of the 4th century. Thus St. John Chrysostom, in 395, speaks of the three crosses discovered by the Empress Helen beneath the mound of Golgotha: that of Christ was identified because it was found in the middle and bore the inscription. About the beginning of the 5th century other writers speak of miracles thanks to which the true Cross was recognized by St. Helen and St. Macarius, bishop of Jerusalem. Aetheria, in her ac-count of her journey to Jerusalem (about 400) says that the festival of the Dedication was celebrated with great solemnity" because the Cross of the Lord was discovered on that day.”

The festival of the Cross was soon to eclipse almost wholly that of the Dedication. In the 6th century, Alexan-der the Monk speaks of the annual celebration, on September 14th, of the Dedication and of the Elevation of the venerable Cross - Υψωσις του τιµοιυ σταυρου. The Basilian menology (manuscript of the end of the 10th century) recounts that the day following the Dedication, in 335, the people were admitted for the first time to the contempla-tion of the sacred wood: the bishop, standing on a height, raised the Cross, to the cries of the faithful, "Kyrie eleison". It is the picture of the ceremony of the Elevation, as it must have been practiced at Jerusalem since the dis-covery of the Cross. On September 14th, 614, this rite was performed for the first time in Constantinople. Recon-quered from the Persians by the Emperor Heraclius III, the Cross was to be received in triumph at the capital of the Empire, in 628. It was to be brought there finally in 633. Patriarch Sergius carried it in procession from Blachernes to St. Sophia, where the ceremony of the Raising was celebrated with great pomp. From Constantinople the festival spread to other centers of the Christian οικουµενη. It was to be celebrated at Rome under Pope Sergius (687-701).

The festival of the Raising is a glorification of the Cross of Christ by the totality of the universe which recognizes that "the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weak-ness of God is stronger than men" (1 Cor. 1:25). "Seeing the Cross raised by the hands of the bishop", the Church glorifies the weapon of Christ by which "the curse was abolished, incorruptible life flowered again, earthly creatures have acquired deification and the demon has been decisively overthrown". But at the same time as the work of redemption, the Church also celebrates the "invincible victory" of the Cross over the powers of this world hostile to Christi-anity. In fact, for Christians there is no other means of victory except by the Cross of the Lord, which is the unique sure support in the history of the world -"the upholder of the universe". The Empire which wishes to be Christian must then bow down before the Cross: it was the Cross which assured the victory of Constantine; it was the Cross again which broke the power of the “barbarian peoples" and upheld the scepters of the Christian Kings. The presence of these “Constantinian" elements gives the festival its political note: the Orthodox people and their basileus, the head of Christian civilization triumph over their enemies by the invincible power of the Cross. But apart from this con-tingent aspect, belonging to Byzantium, the universal (παγκοσµιος) Elevation of the ven-erable and lifegiving Cross has a permanent and essential aspect: that of a cosmic sanctification by the Divine force manifested in the Cross. If Christ is the New Adam, His Cross is the New Tree of Life, giv-ing back to the fallen world the incorruptibility of Paradise. Raised above the earth the Cross, which embraces the whole of heaven with its two extremities, puts to flight the demons and pours forth grace to the four cor-ners of the universe.

In iconography one sometimes finds the representation of the Elevation of the Cross associated with that of its Discovery. Then the bishop is seen raising the Cross in the upper part of the icon, whilst below, St. Helen is shown near a cave at the foot of Golgotha before the three crosses that she has just discovered. But generally the subject is limited to the Elevation properly speaking.

The simplest composition shows us the bishop (St. Macarius of Jerusalem) standing on an ambo holding a large cross in his two hands: it is the true Cross of the Lord which he is showing to the people. The bishop is supported on either side by subdeacons. Generally, one sees at his side St. Constantine and St. Helen. Sometimes the emperor and his mother are placed together to the right of the bishop, whilst to his left is shown some miracle (the healing of a sick or the resurrection of a dead person) produced by the virtue of the Cross.

The architectural background behind the bishop elevating the Cross must represent the basilica of the Resurrection built by Constantine: it is the memory of the ancient" festival of dedication" preserved in the iconography.

Adapted from Leonid Ouspensky @ Vladimir Lossky, The Meaning of Icons, St. Vadimir’s Seminary Press, Crestwood, New York, 1982, pp. 148-151.

Kontakion of the Feast (Elevation of the Cross) – Tone 4:

(Ο υψωθεις... - Bestow Your mercies…) Bestow Your Mercies on the people called by Your name, Christ God, who freely let Yourself be raised on the cross. To all who battle evil give joy in Your power, by gracing them with victory over every foe, for having You as their ally, they possess a weapon of peace, an invincible trophy of victory.

T h e P r ec i o u s an d L i f e - g i v i n g C r o s s

(A homily of St. Theodore the Studite, +826 AD) How precious the gift of the Cross, how splendid to contem-plate! In the Cross there is no mingling of good and evil, as in the tree of paradise: it is wholly beautiful to behold and good to taste. The fruit of this tree is not death but life, not dark-ness but light. This tree does not cast us out of Paradise, but opens the way for our return. This was the Tree on which Christ, like a king on a chariot, destroyed the devil, the lord of death, and freed the human race from his tyranny. This was the Tree upon which the Lord, like a brave warrior wounded in hands, feet, and side, healed the wounds of sin that the evil serpent had inflicted on our nature. A tree once caused our death, but now a Tree brings life. Once deceived by a tree, we have now repelled the cunning serpent by a Tree. What an astonishing transfor-mation! That death should become life, that decay should become immortality, that shame should become glory! Well might the holy Apostle exclaim, “Far be it from me to glory except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world!” The su-preme wisdom that flowered on the Cross has shown the folly of worldly wisdom’s pride. The knowledge of all good, which is the fruit of the Cross, has cut away the shoots of wickedness. The wonders accomplished through this Tree were foreshadowed clearly even by the mere types and figures that existed in the past. Meditate on these, if you are eager to learn. Was it not the wood of a tree that enabled Noah, at God’s command, to escape the destruction of the flood…? And surely the rod of Moses prefigured the Cross when it changed water into blood, swallowed up the false serpents of Phar-aoh’s magicians, divided the sea at one stroke and then restored the waters to their normal course, drowning the enemy and saving God’s own people? Aaron’s rod, which blossomed in one day in proof of his true priesthood, was another figure of the Cross, and did not Abraham foreshadow the Cross when he bound his son Isaac and placed him on the pile of wood? By the Cross death was slain and Adam was restored to life. The Cross is the glory of all the Apostles, the crown of the Martyrs, the sanctification of the Saints. By the Cross we put on Christ and cast aside our former self. By the Cross we, the sheep of Christ, have been gathered into one flock, destined for the sheepfolds of heaven. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Theodore the Studite (also known as Theodorus Studita, St. Theodore of Stoudios, and St. Theodore of Studium; 759–826) was a Byzantine Greek monk and abbot of the Studios monastery in Constantinople. St. Theodore's letter, containing suggested monastery reform rules, is the first recorded stand against slavery.[ He played a major role in the revivals both of Byzantine monasticism and of classical literary genres in Byzantium. He is known as a zealous opponent of Iconoclasm, one of several conflicts that set him at odds with both Emperor and Patriarch. St. Theodore of Studion: 11th-century mosaic from Nea Moni Monastery, Chios

Indiction – The Beginning of the Church Year

(September 1st) The Roman Republic was known as a Republic with a complex constitution, separation of powers and checks and balances. After the initial expansion, the Republic turned into an Empire in which the person of the leader (dictator) became the source of power. As for what when this transformation took place, historians have proposed as pivotal event ending the Republic one or more of: the appointment of Julius Caesar as perpetual dictator in 44 BC, the defeat of Mark Anthony at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC, and the Roman Senate’s grant of extraordinary powers to Octavian Augustus in 27 BC. Once that the Roman Republic turned into an Empire, a large military force was needed to maintain or to extend the borders of the Empire. For the maintenance of their armed forces, the Roman emperors de-creed that their subjects in every district should be taxed every year. This same decree was reissued every fifteen years, since the Roman soldiers were obliged to serve for fifteen years. At the end of each fifteen-year period, an assessment was made of what economic changes had taken place, and a new span of the fifteen years. This imperial decree, which was issued before the season of winter, was named Indictio, that is, Defini-tion or Order. This name was adopted by the emperors in Constantinople also. At other times, the latter also used the term Epinemisis, that is, Distribution (Dianome). It is commonly held that the institution of the Indiction started with Caesar Augustus. three years before the birth of Christ. Those who hold this view offer as proof the papal bull issued in A.D. 781 which is dated thus: Anno IV, Indictionis LIII - that is, the fourth year of the fifty-third Indiction. From this, we can deduce the aforementioned year (3 BC) by multiplying the fifty-two complete Indictions by the number of years in each (15), and adding the three years of the fifty-third Indiction. Some people believe that St. Constantine the Great introduced the Indiction by a decree in 312 AD, after he saw the sign of the Cross in the sky and vanquished Maxentius and eventually was proclaimed Em-peror in the West. There are three types of Indictions: 1) That which was introduced in the West, and which is called Impe-rial or Caesarean, and which begins on the 24th of September; 2) The so-called Papal Indiction, which begins on the 1st of January; and 3) The Constantinopolitan, which was adopted by the Patriarchs of that city after the fall of the Eastern Empire in 1453.

By the middle of the fifth century the Constantinopolitan Indiction settled for September 1st, and re-mained there throughout the rest of the Byzantine Empire. In 537 AD, Emperor Justinian, in his No-vella 47, decreed that all dates (civil and religious) must include the Indiction. The Constantinopolitan Indiction is indicated by the hand of the Patriarch of Constantinople on a yearly decree called Kanonion. The calculation of the Indiction is based on the following formula: the year plus 2 divided by 15 and adding 1 to it. [(2013 + 2) mod 15 + 1 = 6]. So 2013 is the sixth year of the Indiction. Possible indiction values are 1 to 15. When year plus 2 divided by 15 gets a remainder zero, then 15 is used in-stead. The Kanonion is issued every year by the Patriarchate of the Constantinople and includes besides the year of Indiction, the tones, the Eothina, the Gospel and Epistle readings for every Sunday of the year. This Indiction begins on the 1st of September and is observed with special Services in the Church, since completion of each preceding year (August 31st) and the beginning of the new year (September 1st) coincide with the harvest and gathering of the crops into storehouses. The Church also keeps festival this day beseeching God for fair weather, seasonable rains, and an abundance of the fruits of the earth. The Holy Scriptures (Lev. 23:24-5 and Num. 29:1-2) also testify that the people of Israel offering hymns of thanksgiving. In addition to all the aforesaid, on this feast we also commemorate our Savior's entry into the synagogue of Nazareth, where He was given the scroll of the Prophet Isaiah to read, and He opened it and found the place where it is written, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor…)" (Luke 4:16-30). It should be noted that to the present day, the Church has always celebrated the beginning of the New Year on September 1st. The same date was observed both by the Church and State in Constantinople until its fall in 1453 and in Russia until the reign of Peter I. September 1st is still festively celebrated as the New Year at the Patriarchate of Constantinople and in all Greek Orthodox Churches. The Service included in the Menaion for January 1st refers to the Lord's Circumcision and to the memorial of Saint Basil the Great, without any mention of its being the beginning of a new year.

Fr. Vasile Mihai Novella 47 of Justinian

Forty-Seventh New Constitution.

The Emperor Justinian to John, Most Glorious Praetorian Prefect, Twice Consul and Patrician. ………………. (1) Where, however, the inhabitants of the East, or any other nations, are accustomed to state in their public documents the date of the foundation of their cities, We do not prohibit them from doing so, but We desire that the year of the reign shall first be written, and that (as We have already said) the name of the Consul, the indiction, the month and the day when the transaction took place, and was commit-ted to writing shall follow, and that afterwards the year of the foundation of the city shall be inserted; for We do not abolish any of these former customs, but merely add the Imperial designation. From the date of the preceding indiction, documents shall be begun in the name of God, for instance: "The elev-enth year of the reign of the Most Holy Emperor Justinian, the second year after the Consulate of that most illustrious man, Flavius Belisarius, on the .... day of the Kalends of ........" ………………… Given at Constantinople, on the Kalends, during the eleventh year of the reign of Justinian, ever Au-gustus, and the second year after the Consulate of Belisarius.

The Nativity of the Theotokos

(September 8)

The establishment of four major feast days to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary took place in the days of the apostolic era and have a significance in the Greek Orthodox Church which has remained unaltered through nearly twenty centu-ries of Christianity. The mother of the Son of God is hon-ored on March 25, the day of Annunciation when the Arch-angel Gabriel told Mary she was to become the mother of Jesus Christ; the Repose (Dormition) of the blessed Virgin Mary on August 15; on November 21, the Entrance of the Blessed Theotokos to the Temple; and on February 2 when the Mother of God brought the infant Jesus to the temple for presentation forty days after His birth. A fifth day of commemoration is celebrated on Sep-tember 8, honoring the Virgin Mary on the day of her birth, the first major feast after the beginning of the church year (Indiction). This day was set aside by the Orthodox Church in the early first century, but not observed until the eighth cen-tury when Pope Sergios saw fit to join with the Orthodox during his reign which extended from A.D. 687 to 701. All of Christendom agreed on the date that the Virgin Mary was born, but for some reason the date was not an official feast day in the Roman sector for more than a third of the length of existence of the Christian Church. The lack of communication between East and West ended in the Schism of 1054, a break which now appears to be an ever-narrowing gap, hopefully to be closed in a reunion upon which the Mother of God is sure to smile. The familiar story of Mary's birth has had variations in splinter groups of Christianity, but there is no doubt that her birth came about as an act of God. Her parents, Joachim and Anna, were childless and were fast approaching the years which would place Anna beyond the age of childbearing. Perhaps it was because of the intensity of their prayers that a child be born to them that their prayers were not only answered, but their child would, in turn, bear a child ordained by God as his Son. No one who calls him-self a Christian can accept the virgin birth as anything but an act of God. Although Mary is known as the mother of God, she has been accorded numerous titles in the Orthodox Church of which few are aware. They include, in addition to Mary, Mother of God, Blessed Vir-gin, Mary Pantanissa, Mary of Tinos, Mary of Malcheon, and Mary Vlacherne (just to mention a few of the many honors applied to her name). Considered the Mother of Mothers and the Mother of all Man-kind, she is venerated in a manner which helps to sanctify the role of motherhood and the preservation of the family as the only hope for civilization. In an age of equal rights, the God-given right to mother-hood, which is the mainstay of Christianity, is lost in a cloud of other 'rights' that have no meaning in the presence of God. Those who clamor for those 'rights' are not aware that there is no inferiority in women, proof of which is an approach to God and a reading of the Bible as a stronger document than any consti-tution. It is regrettable that the immaculate conception, not to be confused with the virginal birth of the Savior, is a concept of the Mother of God which the Roman Church assumed in 1854 and with which the Orthodox Church is in total disagreement. This concept holds that Mary was born without the stain of original sin brought upon all mankind by Adam and Eve. But the Orthodox position holds that since Jesus Christ is God, he is, therefore the only one who is without the original stain. The point could be argued endlessly; but in spite of dogmatic differences, there is no lessening in the adoration of Mary as the Mother of God. There can be no doubt that she was made pure on the day of the Annunciation when told by Gabriel she was going to be the Virgin Mother of the Messiah. The Orthodox position stems from the concept that if the immaculate conception is taken literally, then Mary would assume the stature of goddess alongside God. The popularity of the name of Mary attests to the glorification of the Virgin Mary.

An Explanation of the Icon of Nativity of the Theotokos

In the festival of the Nativity of the Theotokos or Mother of God (September 8th), the Church celebrates the most holy human birth, whose" fruit most pure" was elect and sanctified from the mo-ment of con-ception (Conception of St. Anna, celebrated December 9th). Whilst the Conception and the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, equally festivals of the Church, are given a detailed account in the Gospels, the latter say nothing of the birth of the Mother of God. Apocryphal sources, on the contrary, give a substantial share to the origins and childhood of the Holy Virgin. There is, above all, the Protevangelium of James of Judeo-Christian origin, composite work, in which the part concerning the Virgin Mary goes back to the date 130-140. The venerable antiquity of this source allows the acceptance of the veracity of certain particulars that it gives about the family of the Mother of God: the names of Her parents, Joachim and Anna, the descent of Joachim from David, etc. Later modifications of the primitive account of the Protevangelium of James, as well as some other more recent apocrypha, have accumulated new details, giving rise to discordant traditions. Also certain writers give Nazareth, the homeland of Joachim1, as the. Holy Virgin's birthplace, others Bethlehem, the birthplace of St. Anna2, others again, Jerusalem.3 The tradition of the Church has retained only such data as would throw into relief the scriptural and dogmatic truth: the descent from the race of David and the holy birth of the Virgin, chosen to give human nature to the Word of God. The festival of the Nativity of the Holy Virgin must be very ancient: it is known that Justinian erected at Constantinople a church dedicated to St. Anna.4 Like the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, the birth of the Mother of God, promised by angel after the par-ents had long been sterile, finds Old Testament antecedents which are habitually considered as prefigu-rations of the Resurrection.5 But the Nativity of the Mother of God is more than a figure; for in the person of St. Anna - a woman freed from her sterility bring into the world a Virgin who would give birth to God incarnate - it is our nature which ceases to be sterile in order to start bearing the fruits of grace. The miraculous birth of the Holy Virgin is not due to an arbi-trary action of God, entering in to break historical continuity: it is a stage of the Providence which watches over the safety of the world, arduously preparing the Incarnation of the Word, a stage which precedes the last decisive act-the Annunciation, when the chosen Virgin will assent to be "the King's Palace, in which is accompl-ished the perfect mystery of the two natures reunited in Christ". "Mystery goes before the greater mystery": "the sterile door is opened and the virginal Door comes forth" to introduce Christ into the world". If "the name, Mother of God (Θεοτοκος), contains the whole history of the divine economy in the world" 6, the ancestor of the Virgin-this Flower of Jesse"-could be called "David, the Father of God" (Θεοπατωρ) and the name of “parents of God" (Θεοπατορες) would belong, in the first place, to Joachim and Anna. Adam and Eve, parents of fallen humanity, would then rejoice to see their descendants pro-duce "the Mother of Life", "the Source of incorruption".

The iconography of the Nativity of the Mother of God habitually shows us St. Anna half lying on a bed, sur-rounded by servants getting ready to wash the newly-born Infant. The Holy Virgin is generally represented in swaddling clothes, laying in a crib, next to a midwife seated on a stool near the basin filled with water. The position and the attitude of St. Joachim allow of several variations: sometimes he is shown standing, as in our icon, sometimes he is seated and conversing with St. Anna. On the mosaic of the monastery of Daphni (XIth century) St. Joachim is not represented.

The icon reproduced here is a “classical” icon in the tradition of Kontoglu. The ‘serious” figures of Joachim and Anna, emphasize their majestic character as "theopatores" (parents of God). St. Anna is looking downwards, towards her Daughter laying in the crib. St. Joachim is pointing to the “gift of God”, who became the center of attention. The midwife and the two other servants, of reduced height, play the part of accesso-ries: attention is fixed on the Holy Parents and their Child, who has just been born. Adapted from Leonid Ouspensky @ Vladi-mir Lossky, The Meaning of Icons, St. Vadimir’s Seminary Press, Crestwood, New York, 1982, pp. 145-147.

1 Epiphanius the Monk, Sermon on the life of the Mother of God. P. G. 120, co!. 189. 2 St. John Chrysostom, Christmas Homily (Anno 396); P.G. 49, co!. 354; St. Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary the prophet Micah, V; P.G. 71, co!. 713. 3 St. Sophronios, Odes of Anacreon, XX; P.G. 87, co!. 3821. 4 Procopius, De aedificiis, 1. 3; Bonn, edition, III, p. 185. S Above all, the giving birth to Isaac by the sterile Sarah has often been given this interpretation. 6 St. John Damascene, On the Orthodox Faith, III, 12; P.G. 94, colI. 1029-1032.

Protoevangelium of James

The Birth of Mary the Holy Mother of God, and Very Glorious Mother of Jesus Christ.

5. And on the following day he brought his offerings, saying in himself: 'If the Lord God has been ren-dered gracious to me, the plate on the priest's forehead will make it manifest to me.' And Joachim brought his offerings, and observed attentively the priest's plate when he went up to the altar of the Lord, and he saw no sin in himself. And Joachim said: 'Now I know that the Lord hath been gracious unto me, and hath remitted all my sins.' And he went down from the temple of the Lord justified, and departed to his own house. And her months were fulfilled, and in the ninth month Anna brought forth. And she said to the midwife: 'What have I brought forth?' And she said: 'A girl.' And said Anna: 'My soul hath been magnified this day.' And she laid her down. And the days having been fulfilled, Anna was purified, and gave the breast to the child, and called her name Mary. 6. And the child grew strong day by day; and when she was six months old, her mother set her on the ground to try whether she could stand, and she walked seven steps and came into her bosom; and she snatched her up, saying: 'As the Lord my God lives, thou shalt not walk on this earth until I bring thee into the temple of the Lord.' And she made a sanctuary in her bed-chamber, and allowed nothing com-mon or unclean to pass through her. And she called the undefiled daughters of the Hebrews, and they led her astray. And when she was a year old, Joachim made a great feast, and invited the priests, and the scribes, and the elders, and all the people of Israel. And Joachim brought the child to the priests; and they blessed her, saying: 'O God of our fathers, bless this child, and give her an everlasting name to be named in all generations.' And all the people said: 'So be it, so be it, amen.'

The Most-Holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary

In the theology and piety of the Orthodox Church, a special place of honor is given to the Mother of God the Most-Holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, who is reverenced by the Orthodox as being more hon-orable than the Cherubim and more glorious, beyond compare, than the Seraphim. As Orthodox we style her as the most exalted among God's creatures; but we do not regard her as some sort of god-dess, the 4th Person of the Trinity, as some accuse us; nor do we render her the worship due God alone. Just as with the Holy Icons, the veneration due Mary is expressed in quite different words in the Greek writings of the Fathers than that due God.

At many of the Divine Services, the Deacon exclaims: Commemorating our Most-Holy, Most-Pure, Most-Blessed and Glorious Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary with all the Saints.... And here we can see three basic truths expressed concerning her.

The Virgin Mary is honored because she is Theotokos the Mother of God not of His divinity, but of His humanity, yet of God in that Jesus Christ was, in the theology of the Church, both God and Man, at one and the same time, in the Incarnation. Therefore, the honor given Mary is due to her relationship to Christ. And this honor, rather than taking away from that due God, makes us more aware of God's maj-esty; for it is precisely on account of the Son (Himself God) that she is venerated. Of times, when men refuse to honor Mary, it is because they do not believe in the cause of her veneration the Incarnation of the Second Person of the Trinity.

We also speak of the Theotokos as being Ever-Virgin, which was officially proclaimed at the 5th Ecu-menical Council (Constantinople 553; the dogma concerning Mary as being Theotokos was proclaimed in 431 at the 3rd Ecumenical Council in Ephesus). This notion does not actually contradict Holy Scrip-ture, as some would think. And His mother and His brothers came; and standing outside they sent to Him and called Him (Mark 3:31). Here the use of the word brothers in the original Greek can mean half-brother, cousin, or near relative, in addition to brothers in the strict sense. The Orthodox Church has al-ways seen brothers here as referring to His half-brothers.

If Mary is honored as Theotokos, so too, she is honored because she is Panagia All-Holy. She is the supreme example of the cooperation between God and Man; for God, Who always respects human free-dom, did not become incarnate without her free consent which, as Holy Scripture tells us, was freely given: Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word (Luke 1:38). Thus Mary is seen by the Church as the New Eve (as Christ is the New Adam) whose perfect obedience con-trasted the disobedience of the First Mother, Eve, in Paradise. As St. Irenaeus says, the knot of Eve's disobedience was loosed through the obedience of Mary; for what Eve, a virgin, bound by her unbelief, that Mary, a virgin, unloosed by her faith [Against the Heresies, III, xxii, 4],

As All-Holy and Most-Pure, Mary was free from actual sin, but, in the opinion of most Orthodox theologi-ans, although not dogmatized by the Church, she did fall under the curse of Original Sin as does all mankind. For this reason by virtue of her solidarity with all humanity the Theotokos died a bodily death. Yet, in her case, the resurrection of the body had been anticipated; and she was assumed body and soul into Heaven; and her tomb was found empty an event celebrated in the Feast of the Falling-Asleep (or Dormition) of the Most-Holy Theotokos (Aug. 15). Thus, as the hymns of that Feast proclaim, she has passed from earth to heaven, beyond death and judgment, living already in the age to come. She enjoys now the same bodily glory all of us hope to share one day.

Whereas the Church has officially proclaimed as dogmas the doctrines concerning the Trinity and the Incarnation, the glorification of the Mother of God belongs to the Inner Tradition of the Church. As the noted Orthodox theologian, Vladimir Lossky writes: It is hard to speak and not less hard to think about the mysteries which the Church keeps in the hidden depths of her inner consciousness.... The Mother of God was never a theme of the public preaching of the Apostles; while Christ was preached on the housetops, and proclaimed for all to know in an initiatory teaching addressed to the whole world, the mystery of His Mother was revealed only to those who were within the Church.... It is not so much an object of faith as a foundation of our hope, a fruit of faith, ripened in Tradition. Let us therefore keep si-lence, and let us not try to dogmatize about the supreme glory of the Mother of God.

The Late Years of St. John the Divine

After the ascension of our Lord, St. John remained in Jerusalem for a long time. St. Clement of Alexan-dria tells us that St. John attended the Council of Jerusalem in the year 51. From Jerusalem he traveled around, and it is said that Parthia have been the chief scene of his apostolical labors. St. Augustine sometimes quotes his first epistle under the title of his Epistle to the Parthians. Certain late missionaries in the East Indies assure us, that the inhabitants of Bassora — city upon the mouth of the Tigris and Eu-phrates on the Persian Gulf - claim according to a tradition received from their ancestors that St. John planted the Christian faith in their country.

St. John came to Jerusalem in the year 62 to meet the rest of the apostles still alive at that time when they chose in council St. Simeon, bishop of that church after the martyrdom of St. James Brother of the Lord. It seems that St. John, after the death of the Blessed Virgin, visited Lesser Asia making resi-dence in Ephesus, the capital of that country. It is certain that was not come thither in 64, when St. Paul left St. Timothy bishop of that city. St. Irenaeus tells us, that he did not settle there till after the death of Sts. Peter and Paul. St. Timothy continued to be Bishop of Ephesus till his martyrdom in 97. But the apostolical authority of St. John was universal and superior, and the charity and humility of these two holy men prevented all differences upon account of their jurisdiction.

St. John preached in other parts and took care of all the churches of Asia which, St. Jerome says, he founded and governed. Tertullian adds that he placed bishops in all that country; by which we are to understand that he confirmed and governed those which Sts. Peter and Paul had established, and appointed others in many other churches which he founded. It is even probable that in the course of his long life, he put bishops into all the churches of Asia: for while the apostles lived, they supplied the churches with bishops of their own appointing by the guidance of the Holy Ghost, and by virtue of their commission to plant the church.

St. John, in his extreme old age, continued often to visit the churches of Asia, and sometimes undertook journeys to assume to the sacred ministry a single person whom the Holy Spirit had marked out to him. About the year 192, Appollonius, a Greek Father who wrote against the Montanists and con-fronted their pretended prophecies step by step, assures us that St. John raised a dead man to life at Ephesus. A certain priest of Asia having been convicted of writing a fabulous account of the voyages of St. Paul and St. Thecla, in defence and honor of that apostle, was deposed by St. John. St. Epiphanius affirms that St. John was carried into Asia by the special direction of the Holy Spirit, to oppose the here-sies of Ebion and Cerinthus.

The very characteristic of St. John was universal meekness and charity towards all of the peo-ple. But towards himself he was always most severe; St. Epiphanius tells us, that he never wore any clothes but a tunic and a linen garment, and never ate flesh; and that his way of living was not unlike that of St. James, Bishop of Jerusalem, who was remarkable for austerity and mortification.

In the second general persecution, in the year 95, St. John was apprehended by the proconsul of Asia and sent to Rome, where he was miraculously preserved from death when thrown into a caul-dron of boiling oil. On account of this trial, the title of martyr is given him by the fathers, who say that thus was fulfilled what Christ had foretold him, that he should drink of his cup. The tyrant Domitian ban-ished St. John into the isle of Patmos, one of the Sporades in the Archipelago. In this retirement the apostle was favored with those heavenly visions which he has recorded in the canonical book of the Revelations, or of the Apocalypse: they were manifested to him on a Sunday in the year 96. By these visions God gave St. John a prospect of the future state of the church.

His exile was not to last long, for Domitian being slain in September in 96, all his edicts and pub-lic acts were declared void by a decree of the senate on account of his excessive cruelty; and his suc-cessor, Nerva, recalled all those whom he had banished. St. John, therefore, returned to Ephesus in 97, where he found that St. Timothy had been crowned with martyrdom on the preceding 22nd of January. The apostle was obliged, by the pressing entreaties of the whole flock, to take upon him the particular government of that church, which he held till the reign of Trajan. St. John, in imitation of the high priest of the Jews, wore a plate of gold upon his forehead, as an ensign of his Christian priesthood, as Poly-crates informs us. St. Epiphanius relates the same of St. James, the Bishop of Jerusalem, and the au-thor of the history of the martyrdom of St. Mark the Evangelist, attributes to him the same ornament. St. John celebrated the Christian Pascha on the 14th day of the moon, agreeing as to time with the Jewish

passover; but was so far from holding the Jewish rites of obligation in the New Law, that he condemned that heresy in the Nazarites. As his apostolic labors were chiefly bestowed among the Jews, he judged such a conformity, which was then allowable, conducive to their conversion. The ancient fathers informs us that it was principally to confronted the blasphemies of Ebion and Cerinthus, who denied the divinity of Christ, and even his pre-existence before his temporal birth, that St. John composed his gospel. Another reason was, to supply certain omissions of the other three gos-pels, which he read and confirmed by his approbation. He therefore principally insists on the actions of Christ, from the commencement of his ministry to the death of the Baptist, wherein the others were spar-ing; and he largely records his discourses, mentioning fewer miracles. It being his principal aim to set forth the divinity of Christ, he begins with the eternal generation and his creating the world; and both his subject and manner of treating it is so sublime and mysterious, that Tbeodoret calls his gospel "a theol-ogy which human understanding can never fully penetrate and find out." Hence he is compared by the ancients to an eagle, soaring aloft within the clouds, whither the weak eye of man is unable to follow him; and by the Greeks he is honored with the title of The Divine. St. Jerome relates, that "when he was earnestly pressed by the brethren to write his gospel, he answered he would do it, if by ordering a com-mon fast they would all put up their prayers together to God"; which being ended, replenished with the clearest and fullest revelation coming from heaven, he burst forth into that preface: "In the beginning was the word,…" St. John Chrysostom and other Fathers mention that the evangelist prepared himself for this divine undertaking by retirement, prayer, and contemplation. Some think he wrote his gospel in the isle of Patmos; but it is the more general opinion that he composed it after his return to Ephesus, about the year of our Lord 98, of his age ninety-two, after our Lord's ascension sixty-four. This apostle also wrote three epistles. The first is Catholic (Universal), or addressed to all Christians, especially his converts to whom he presses to purity and holiness of man-ners, and he cautions them against the crafty insinuations of seducers, mainly Simonians and Cerin-thians. The other two epistles are short, and directed to particular persons: the one a lady of honorable quality called, as it seems, Electa (though some think this rather an epithet of honor than a proper name); the other Gaius, or Caius, a courteous entertainer of all indigent Christians. The style and senti-ments in St. John's gospel and in these epistles are the same; and the same inimitable spirit of charity reigns throughout all these writings. The largest measures of this charity he showed for the souls of men, in which service he spent himself without ever being weary in journeys, in preaching, in enduring patiently all fatigues, breaking through all difficulties and discouragements, shunning no dangers that he might rescue men from error, idolatry, or the snares of vice. A remarkable instance is recorded by Clement of Alexandria and Euse-bius. When St. John returned from Patmos to Ephesus, he made a visitation of the churches of Lesser Asia to correct abuses and supply them with worthy pastors. This charity, which our great saint was penetrated with and practiced himself, he constantly and most affectionately pressed upon others. It is this great vein that runs through his sacred writings, espe-cially his epistles, where it is emphasized as the great and peculiar law of Christianity, without which all pretensions to this divine religion are vain and frivolous, useless and insignificant. This was his constant practice to his dying day. St. Jerome relates that when age and weakness grew upon him in Ephesus, so that he was no longer able to preach or make long discourses to the people, he used always to be carried to the assem-bly of the faithful by his disciples with great difficulty; and every time said to his flock only these words, "My dear children, love one another." When his auditors, wearied with hearing constantly the same thing, asked him why he always repeated the same words, he replied, "Because it is the precept of the Lord, and if you comply with it, you do enough"; an answer, says St. Jerome, worthy the great St. John, the favorite disciple of Christ, and which ought to be engraved in characters of gold, or rather to be writ-ten in the heart of every Christian. St. John died in peace at Ephesus, in the third year of Trajan (based on Eusebius's chronicle), that is, the hundredth of the Christian era, or the sixty-sixth from our Lord's crucifixion, the saint being then about ninety-four years old, according to St. Epiphanius. St. John was buried on a mountain out-side of the town. The dust of his tomb was carried away out of devotion, and was famous for miracles, as St. Austin, St. Ephrem, and St. Gregory of Tours mention. A stately church stood formerly over this tomb, which is at present a Turkish mosque. The 26th of September is consecrated to the memory of St. John in the Greek Orthodox Church and 27th of December in the Roman Catholic Church.

Compiled by Fr. Vasile Mihai from various sources.

The Sign of the Cross – History and Meaning

1. The Cross – Shape and Meaning The cross is a cosmic symbol which was known before the developing of the Christianity; some anthro-pologists believe that the cross represents a harmony of the contraries. The four arms represent the compass and the intersection represents the center of the universe. The English word cross comes from the Latin crux,-ucis; the Greek equivalent is stavros. Both crux and stavros refer to the vertical pole on which people were crucified. That is why in the hymnology of the Greek Orthodox Church the term is used alternatively with dendros, or tree. The Romans used exten-sively the crucifixion but the method of condemnation was not unique to them; the people of Carthage used it prior and also the Jews (under the high priest Hyrcanus). In the Antiquity a few shapes of cross were known. The Romans were very familiar with: crux comissa, or the cross of St. Anthony, which is shaped as the letter “T”, crux immisssa, with four unequal arms, and shaped as the sign “+” with the vertical part longer than the horizontal, and crux decussate, or the cross of St. Andrew, shaped as the letter “X”. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ was crucified on a crux immissa as hints about the shape of the cross are provided in Matthew (27:37), Mark (15:26), Luke (23:38), and John (19:19). Christianity is the one who changed the meaning of the cross, from object of torture to symbol of resur-rection. By signing themselves in the form of the cross, Christians accepted the sacrificial death of Christ and proclaimed the victory of resurrection. The importance of the cross became more evident after the Empress Helena, mother of the Emperor Constantine, discovered the cross on which Jesus was cruci-fied (326 AD). Helena’s son, Emperor Constantine, adopted the cross as emblem for the military ban-ners and for the soldiers’ shields with the occasion of his battle against Maxentius (312 AD). St. Euse-bius of Caesarea, in his History of the Christian Church, talked about Constantine’s vision on the sky and the words he saw: En touto nika, In hoc signo vinces, By this [sign] you shall conquer. The seventh Ecumenical Council of Nicaea (787 AD) decided that the cross should be venerated in the same way as the icons of the church. That proclamation strengthened the belief in the death and resur-rection of Jesus Christ. From now on, more and more churches are built in the shape of the cross and adorned with the cross in the top. The cross was drawn on the banners, added to the heraldic signs, chiseled on the graves, or in a miniature shape hanged around the neck of the Christians. 2. The Sign of the Cross – Short History The way in which the Christian crosses himself is the result of an historical evolution as well as of cul-tural and religious influence. We have to add that differences in the way of making the sign contributed in a measure to the deepening of the differences between the Roman-Catholic and Orthodox Church. Here we are not debating the fact that the sign of the cross should be made with the open palm or with two or three fingers, from the right to the left or from the left to the right, but actually will try to discern if by making the sign of the holy cross a Christian is moved by the Spirit and becomes part of the crucifix-ion and resurrection of Christ. It may not be advisable for us to judge what is the right way to make the sign of the cross, especially for the fact that the cross as symbol of happiness pre-existed the Christian era. This does not mean that the Christians simply borrowed the sign of the cross from the pagans: the Christian sign of the cross has the roots into the Jewish Messianic tradition rather than pagan sources. 3. The Jewish letter “Tav” In the first Jewish-Christian communities, the faithful drew on their foreheads a sign which recalled the wood of the cross on which Jesus was crucified. This gesture was not novel. The prophet Ezekiel talked about the members of the Messianic community who would be marked on the forehead with the sign of the letter “tav.” The letter “tav” is the last letter in the Hebrew alphabet and well acknowledged as repre-senting God. From here one can understand that the sign “tav”, or the seal of Ezekiel, represents the name of God.

Making the sign of “tav” by the early Christians might not be so surprising as they were in majority of Jewish background for whom the power of the covenant with God was so evident; moreover, many early Christians believed that the “Name of the Father is the Son”, and through the sign they celebrated both the Father and the Son. St. John the Theologian alluded to that duality when he said, “Then I looked, and lo, on Mount Zion stood the lamb, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.” (Rev. 14:1). When the majority of the Christian communities became Greek in character, the usage of the sign “tav” diminished and by consequence, more and more people used the sign of the Greek letter “tau.” The rep-resentation of both letters is very close, but the sign “tau” or “T” actually looked exactly as the crux com-misa, or the cross of St. Anthony. The sign on the forehead is done now in remembrance of the cross on which Jesus was crucified; writings of St. Paul, who exalted the cross as symbol of redemption and sal-vation, brought the needed theological justification. The general meaning of the sign of the cross (from the “tav” to the “tau” or “+” ) shifted from symbol of God’s glory revealed in the Word (Logos) to the victory of the death on the cross and the redemption power of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 4. The sign of the cross The first testimonies about the sign of the cross in the Early Church are related to the rite of baptism. At the beginning of the 3rd century in Africa and in Rome, the catechumens were signed with the sign of the cross in their rites of initiation. The sign of the cross on the forehead was clear understanding the person belonged to Christ. St. Cyprian of Carthage exalted the martyrs of the Church who with their foreheads cleansed by sign of the cross, rejected the crown of the devil and instead received God’s crown. Writings of this early age repeatedly referred to the sign of the cross as a defensive weapon against devil’s temptations and a strengthening of their resolve in living the Christian way, the way of life. The sign of the cross was widely accepted and entered the mainstream Christian behavior: from a sign of initiation of a catechumen to the sign of belonging to Christian faith, from the one’s forehead to other parts of the body, from a special application to general sign of blessing and protection before any activ-ity, the signing with the cross became indelible part of the Christian life. Along with prayer, the sign of the cross became the preferred weapon against demonic possession. In the rite of exorcism, making the sign of the cross was, and still it is the most common way to fight against the devil’s machinations, to break his power and to bring about Christ’s healing and peace. 5. The sign of the cross in the 1st Millennium In the Early Church the great majority of the faithful signed themselves with the sign of the cross on the forehead. Some of the faithful preceded the making of the sign by “blowing” air on the palm as a remem-brance of the blowing of the Holy Spirit at the baptism. Other people were making the sign of the cross on the face, again as a remembrance of the sign of the cross made on them during the first part of the sacrament of baptism, the exorcism. The sign of the cross was made with the thumb or with one finger; the small area of the forehead as well as the common custom of sealing documents with one finger are strong arguments for the theory that the cross was made with one finger and not with the palm. Christians of the Early Church tried very hard to keep themselves outside of the demonic activity; be-sides the exorcism performed at the sacrament of baptism, they tried to keep at bay the devil by signing with the sign of the cross all the objects and tools with which they came in contact. Tertullian (ca. 200 AD) talked about the very normal gesture of a Christian woman to make the sign of the cross over the bedding before going to sleep. St. Hippolytus of Rome appealed at sobriety in making of the sign of the cross as many Christians at the time and still today (in the Roman-Catholic Church) makes the sign of the cross over the forehead, mouth and chest (heart). St. Ambrose of Milan promoted a different way of making the sign of the cross. In his explanation of the making of the sign of the cross, one can see that St. Ambrose moved forward from the baptismal way of

making the sign of the cross to the moral imperative of Christian life. St. Ambrose taught people to make the sign of the cross on the forehead, the heart and on the arms. Making the sign of the cross four times, on the forehead, on the heart and on the shoulders eventually was replaced by one large cross touching all the four parts of the body, a precursor of today’s making the sign of the cross. The local evolution of making of the sign of the cross was strongly influenced by two major crises in the Church: Monophysitism and Monothelitism. The theological disputes about the one or two natures of Christ, or of the one or two wills in Christ, overflowed into devotional gesture as making the sign of the cross. As the Monothelitists made the sign of the cross with one finger to attest their theory of one will in Christ, the Orthodox started to sign themselves with two fingers to show that in their understanding there were two natures and two wills in Christ. Signing with two fingers became the way of crossing for the mainline Christianity and was passed to the Slavs in the same form and was kept until the reform of the Patriarch Nikon (1652), when the crossing with three fingers was re-introduced. This way of making the sign of the cross, developed as a sign of protest against the major heresies, eventually adjusted to the mainstream understanding of the making of the sign of the cross, the attesta-tion of the true faith in Christ. Once the Monothelitism quarrel was over, the Greek Church introduced the custom of making the sign of the cross with three fingers, to the glory of the Trinity. Thus the identity of a Christian was tied to the special relationship with the Holy Trinity, especially keeping account that the sacrament of baptism was done in the name of the Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). It may be very probable that from the Early Church the making of the sign of the cross was done with the saying of the baptismal formula, “In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” This way of crossing with three fingers became by the 12th century the norm in both the East and the West. 6. The large cross of the West If the making of the large cross was known in the East by the 8th century, in the West there were no de-scriptions of the sign until the second part of the 12th century; this does not mean that that particular way of making the sign of the cross was not known. At the death of Charlemagne, the chronicler mentioned the sign of the cross but its description was not so clear in order to deduce that it was a “large cross” or four “small crosses”. By 1160, in an English book titled, Ancren Riwle, a treatise on the rules and duties of the monastic life, a churchman is giving advise to three aspiring nuns concerning the prayers before going to sleep and mentioning a few ways of making the sign of the cross: three small crosses on the forehead with the thumb (by saying, “Christ conquers +, Christ is king +, Christ rules +), a large cross [on the body] (by saying, Behold the Lord’s cross +, begone ye adversaries +, the lion of the tribe of Judah +, the root of David had conquered +, Alleluia), and then four crosses in four directions (by saying, The cross + drives away every evil, + The cross is the restorer of the world, By the sign of the cross + let every thing malig-nant fly away, and by the same sign + let every thing that is kind and good be preserved). Finally bless yourself and the bed, “in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen. Thus the large cross became the most known way of making the cross; a “big”, large cross (touching the forehead, the chest, and the shoulders) became the almost unconsciousness way of making the sign of the cross for the great majority of Christians. 7. How the large cross was made in the West Reverberations of the two heresies, Monophysitism and Monothelitism, arrived in the West too; through the decisive intervention of the popes, the Orthodoxy was maintained. That is why from the very begin-ning the people of the West were told to cross themselves with three fingers. Pope Innocent III taught people that the sign of the cross should be made with three fingers, in the name of the Holy Trinity, from top down, and from the right to the left. It should be made like this because Je-sus Christ descended from heaven to the earth and that he came from the Jews to the Gentiles. Pope Innocent III acknowledged the fact that some people made the cross from the left to right in order to show that we pass from corruption to glory in the same way as Christ passed from death to resurrection.

A Spanish ecclesiastical historian, Luc de Tuy (Lucas Tudensis, d. 1288) explained that both ways of making the sign of the cross are good and in measure to win over the devil if they are made with piety and trust in the Lord. As for those who want to eliminate one way of making the sign of the cross, he would advise for keeping the making of the cross from left to right, because Jesus descended into Ha-des (left) and then ascended to (the right of ) His Father in order to redeem us. The crossing recom-mended by him was the cross on the face (with three united fingers on the forehead, saying, “In the name of the Father”, then to the chin, saying “and of the Son”, then to the left, saying “and of the Holy Spirit”, and then to the right, saying “Amen”). One can see that in the West one author preferred the crossing from the right to left and gave a specific theological justification for it and another accepted both ways but in the end preferred the crossing from the left to right and gave it a different theological explanation. It seems that between the 8th and the 13th centuries, in the West, the older way of making the sign of the cross from the right to left was slowly re-placed by making the sign of the cross from left to right without much intervention from the hierarchy of the Church. Another deviation of making the sign of the cross started by the 8th century when the Benedictine monks and their missionaries started to make the sign of the cross with the an opened palm (with united fin-gers) rather with the three fingers. The present way of making the sign of the cross in the Roman Catho-lic Church is described in the Catholic Encyclopedia by the gestures made by the priest at the beginning of the Mass; “At the beginning of Mass the celebrant makes the sign of the cross by placing his left hand extended under his breast; then raising his right to his forehead, which he touches with the extremities of his fingers, he says: In nomine Patris; then, touching his breast with the same hand, he says: et Filii; touching his left and right shoulders, he says; et Spiritus Sancti; and as he joins his hands again adds: Amen. 8. Other ways of making the sign of the cross The evolution of making the sign of the cross did not end with the general adopted ways of making the sign of the cross (8th century in the East and 14th century in the West). Local cultures and particular acts of piety contributed to specific ways of making the sign of the cross. For example, in Spain and the countries of Hispanic culture a devout Christian might cross himself in the following way: one small cross with the thumb on the forehead, the same on the lips and then on the chest, saying, By the Sign + of the Holy Cross, deliver us + from our enemies, O Lord + our God; then, one large cross with the palm touch-ing the forehead, the sternum and the left and the right shoulders, saying, In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit; and then a gesture which seems to be the kissing of the thumbnail but in reality is the kiss of the cross formed by laying the thumb over the first finger. In the Orthodox Church we find also some particular attitude in making of the sign of the cross; one may see a Slavic faithful making two very large crosses and then bow toward the church, icon or priest, while a Greek faithful may make three smaller crosses in a very rapid succession and then touching the chest. Those attitudes refer to the extension of movement rather then the shape of the cross and the order of touching, thus in all Orthodox traditions the theological understanding of the cross is preserved un-changed. Besides the sacramental and liturgical Christian churches (Roman-Catholic and Orthodox), other mainline Protestant churches have been restoring the use of the ancient sign and find that making the sign of the cross is both deeply and spiritually enriching. However, some theologians dispute the prac-tice of making the sign of the cross by the Protestant faithful as they do not believe in the real presence of the Lord in the Eucharist and in the Church, thus making the sign of the cross would be inappropriate for them. 9. Conclusions The sign of the cross is the fundamental sign of our relationship with the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; we have to accept that there is no glory without the passion, no resurrec-tion without death, and no redemption without Lord’s grace. By making the sign of the cross one is con-tinually reminded by the sacrifice made for us and of our duty to live by God’s commandments.

Fr. Vasile Mihai

Koulourakia Baking- 8/9-10/13

Parishioners of all ages giving a hand in Festival preparation

Recent service and meal in Brunswick, St. George Chapel

St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church 14 West Anderson St. Savannah, GA 31401 Phone: 912-236-8256 Fax: 912-236-7321

THANK YOU To all of our volunteers who gave us their time & tal-ents by helping make the koulourakia. We couldn’t do it without your help-you are greatly appreciated!! ~Bonnie Danos & Stamata Karfakis -CoChairs NEXT- Kourabiedes on Sept. 20th & 21st!!

CONGRATULATIONS

To Angel Gonzalex & Yuliya Boyarina Gonzalez on the baptism of their son, Kaiden Ilya Gonzalez on August 3rd, 2013. His Godparents were Peter & Jen-nifer Jebeles.

To Constantina Stathopoulos Carroll and her baby boy, Demetrios who were churched on August 18, 2013. To Christopher Ronson and Christine Khoury who were married here at St. Paul’s on August 24th, 2013. Their Koumbari were William Khoury and Stephanie Thomas.

ST. PAUL’S NEWS & NOTES SUNDAY SCHOOL NEWS

Back to School! Another year of Sun-day school is about to start. Plans are underway for a new and exciting year. Our first day of class will be Sunday,

September 22nd. If you haven’t checked the master list of currently enrolled students, or you need to enroll a new student, please see Bonnie Danos. Thanks for your support with our Sunday school program. If you are interested in helping out or being a part of our program, please contact Fr. Vasile Mihai or Bonnie Danos.

GOYA RETREAT

September 13th-15th, 2013

Our own GOYAns along with GOYAns from Jack-sonville, Charleston and Augusta will participate in a weekend of fellowship, fun and prayerful reflection here at St. Paul’s GOC. Reserve the dates and join in for a memorable, rewarding time. See Andy & Jae Crawford for more details and for any questions you may have.

TA PETHIA

Practice for the TaPethia Dance Group will be held on Sundays after Liturgy at the Hellenic Center-(Sept. 15th-Church Picnic-no practice) Then practice resumes on Sep-tember 22nd All those who want to dance at the Greek Festival are invited and encour-

aged to attend. GOYA DANCERS

GOYAns -Practices will start on Tuesdays in the Hellenic Center @ 6pm contact Stamata Karfakis for further in-formation.

PARISH PICNIC REMINDER

St. Paul’s Parish picnic will be held on Sunday, September 15th.

Please pick up your “free entry tickets” on Sundays prior to the 15th. See the flyer for details and directions in this issue of “The Voice”.

FESTIVAL AD BOOK

We are once again making a Greek Fest ival Booklet th is

year which wi l l incorporate the Fest ival menu and act ivi t ies a long with sponsor ads . If you are able to help out by p lacing an ad or are able to make a contact wi th any local businesses that you deal wi th i t would be very helpful to us . There are Ad packages avai lable in the Hel lenic Center or p lease cal l the off ice and one can be sent to you. See the f lyer in this i ssue!

BOOKSTORE NEWS

The start of a new Ecclesiastical Year-what a better way to start it than to come in and select from our interesting and infor-

mative selections of books, cds and other materials on our Orthodox faith! Stop in and see what we have for you and your family! Some great sale items too!

PHILOPTOCHOS NEWS

August General Meeting: Special Guests Jeanne O'Brien & Karen Daiss spoke to our group about the needs of Meals on Wheels. This is the chosen charity for Silent Auc-tion. We enjoyed the wonderful BBQ menu from Red & White. Thank you Jones Family!

Memorial Coffee Hours: We have been very success-ful with so many people coming in before and after church to offer a helping hand. Just a reminder- if you see an item is low or that we need to buy something please write it on the flowery pad on the metal cabinet in back. August 11th- Helen Pappas August 25th - George Kyriakides September 1st- Pina Carellas September 8th- Paul Stoupenos

**ALERT** 11th Annual FOOD & WINE TASTING **ALERT** September 7th, 2013 from 3-6 pm Silent Auction 3-5 PM Please work with us! Please buy tickets!! Please donate something for the Silent Auction!! *****************************

Hat's off to all our members who have participated with the Festival Bak-ing. Kourabiedes on September 20th & 21st. The Fall will be keeping us all busy with among other things, the GREEK FESTIVAL (Oct. 10th, 11th & 12th). Please reserve your participation as soon

as possible.

November 2nd will bring the Garage Sale- Please help us help you get rid of things!! Members Susan Horner & Gabrielle Frank-lin can be contacted for details.

Philoptochos is the heart of the church. We are com-mitted to our philanthropic mission. We are always available to help those in need. Thank you all for sup-porting our good deeds. Sincerely, Betsy Varlagas

ST. PAUL’S NEWS & NOTES

St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church 14 West Anderson St. Savannah, GA 31401 Phone: 912-236-8256 Fax: 912-236-7321

Preparation for our Annual Greek Festival continues. Our next cooking session will be Kourabiedes on Friday & Saturday September 20th & 21st.

The Baklava dates will be announced. Please come and help-We need YOU !!

Thanks to the dedicated group of ladies and gentlemen who have been preparing the food and pastries so far for the Festival. We encourage others to participate-”Many hands make light work”+ it’s good see you-join the fun!!

If you have any time you can give us, please come and help. Dates are listed above and on the monthly calendar.

Please stop in at the Hellenic Center and sign up to be a Volunteer dur-ing the Greek Festival- October 10th, 11th & 12th this year.

Please plan ahead and let us know when you can help!! Thank You!!!!

Come and taste the food and sip the wine !

Stewardship is about priorities and commitments, not amounts. Ask yourself ths question: Can I com-

mit, as part of my ongoing commitment to serving our Lord Jesus Christ, a greater portion of what God has already given me, (time, talents and treasures) and give it back to Him? If there is work in the parish to be done, will I donate my time and talents to help out? And what of my treasures (financial resources), do I give from what is left over, or first off to Him?

ST. PAUL’S PARISH PICNIC

Sunday, September 15, 2013 RAIN OR SHINE!!! at Villa Marie Center

*Bingo & Greek Dancing

Don’t forget your suit & towel!

Church Services will be held in the chapel at Villa Marie Center: Orthros at 9:00am Divine Liturgy at 10:00am The Picnic will follow in the Fellowship Hall. Hamburgers & hotdogs will be provided (at no charge) and also soft drinks, iced tea and water. Please bring a covered dish to share (salad, vegetable or dessert).

ACTIVITIES:

*Olympic races for the Goyans

*Swimming (Certified Life Guards will be on duty)

*Playground- for young children ~You may wish to bring a folding lawn chair to enjoy the outdoor activities.~

Directions from the Hellenic Center (as a point of reference) to Villa Marie Center are on the reverse side of this flyer. *** TO INSURE THAT WE PROVIDE AN ADEQUATE AMOUNT OF FOOD FOR ALL, PLEASE CALL OR COME BY THE HELLENIC CENTER TO RESERVE YOUR SPACE AND PICK UP YOUR TICKET.**

Villa Marie Chapel

Gabrielle Franklin

Gabrielle @ 850-819-1271 Small items need to be bagged neatly and in sealed boxes. Please bring to the Hellenic Center gym for collection

September 1st

Ushers: Jimmy Stevens, Eddie Lambros, Tom Sideris, Chris Simon, Andy Crawford & Jimmy Anestos (*Gabrielle Franklin) Acolytes: Drew Deleanides, Timothy Newport, & Andoni Sideris Nursery: Open w/parental supervision Bookstore: Alexis Donkar

September 8th

Ushers: **Kostas Karfakis, Mary Ann Gonis, George Gonis, *Tony Morris, Jerry Welsh, Sr. & Billy Norse Acolytes: Michael Mamalakis, Eugene Mihai, Alex McDonnell, Atha Stathopoulos, Channing Stroud Nursery: Open w/parental supervision Bookstore: Marie Danos

September 22nd Ushers: **Jimmy Stevens, Eddie Lambros, *Tom Sideris, Chris Simon, Andy Crawford Gabrielle Franklin , & Jimmy Anestos Acolytes: Drew Deleanides, Timothy Newport, & Andoni Sideris Nursery: Open w/parental supervision Bookstore: Anna Gounaris September 29th

Ushers: George Polites, Tommy Danos, Jamie Newman, Pete Simon, George Donkar, Frances Spirides & Steve Mousourakis Acolytes: Michael Mamalakis, Eugene Mihai, Alex McDonnell, Atha Stathopoulos, Channing Stroud Nursery: Open w/parental supervision Bookstore: Helen Xenakis

* denotes person(s) opening ** denotes person(s) closing

WE WILL BE HAVING SERVICES @ Villa Marie Center for the Parish Picnic TODAY-Come and join us there!

September 15th

Ushers :George Polites, Tommy Danos, Jamie New- man, Pete Simon, George Donkar, Frances Spirides & Steve Mousourakis Acolytes: Drew Deleanides, Timothy Newport & Andoni Sideris Nursery: Closed for Picnic Bookstore: Closed for Picnic

Stewardship Comparison

If YOU have not made a pledge or payment yet this year PLEASE Prayerfully consider making one TODAY.

July 2012 As of July 31st, 2012

July 2013 As of July 31st, 2013

Total Collected thru July 2012

$ 66,760.86

Total Collected thru July 2013

$ 75,010.74

Total Pledged thru 7/31/2012

$ 124,755.00

Total Pledged thru 07/31/2013

$ 126,559.00

Total Families who have turned in a pledge card

179

Total Families who have turned in a pledge card

178

St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church

Thank you to those St. Paul’s members who have pledged for 2013.

We encourage everyone’s participation in order for our church to fulfill it’s financial obligations and be able to fund the activities and ministries of our church.

Estate Planning? Please consider putting St. Paul’s GOC or the St. Paul’s Hellenic & Cultural Foundation in your will

Serving hungry Savannahians and visitors for almost 80 years!

1425 Dean Forest Rd. Garden City, GA 31405 (912) 234-7505 Phone; (912) 234-7533 Fax

Kostas & Paraskevi Petropoulos- Owner/Operators

ERA Southeast Coastal Real Estate Office: (912) 927-1088 Cell: (912) 660-6412

Historic Church Tours of Savannah Day Tours include tour of 9 churches and lunch. Overnite tours and 2 Nite Tours available. For pricing and to book tours call 912-306-5543 or email us @ churchtoursofsav@yahoo.com

St. Paul’s Hellenic & Cultural Foundation Educate * Promote * Assist * Support

Your Donations are Needed and Appreciated!

301 West Jones Street Savannah, GA 31401 912-349-1000 www.crystalbeerparlor.com

ALL TAG SALE- Moving… or just clearing out your Household ...There will be a joint Tag Sale by Philoptochos and St. Paul’s GOC on November 2nd. - We need your donations to make this a successful,

event!! Please contact: Kay Litchfield @ 665-4279 or Susan Horner @ 257-0866 to make arrangements for pick-ups or more info. (Please do not bring items to the Hellenic Cntr.)

A Catholic Wedding

On their way to get married, a young Catholic couple was involved in a fatal car accident. The couple found themselves sitting outside the Pearly Gates waiting for St. Peter to process them into Heaven. While anxiously waiting they began to wonder; could they possibly get married in Heaven? When St. Peter arrived, they asked him if they could get married in Heaven. St. Peter said, "I don't know. This is the first time anyone has asked. Let me go find out," and he left. The couple sat and waited for an answer... for a couple of months. While they waited, they dis-cussed the pros and cons. If they were allowed to get married in Heaven, should they get mar-ried, what with the eternal aspect of it all? "What if it doesn't work? Are we stuck in Heaven to-gether forever?" Yet another month passed before St. Peter finally returned, looking somewhat bedraggled. "Yes," he informed the couple, "You can get married in Heaven." "Great!" said the couple. "But we were just wondering; what if things don't work out? Could we also get a divorce in Heaven?" St. Peter, red-faced with anger, slammed his clip-board on the ground. "What's wrong?" asked the frightened couple. "OH, COME ON!" St. Peter shouted. "It took me 3 months to find a priest up here! Do you have ANY idea how long it'll take to find a lawyer??? Source: Internet

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage

Paid Permit No. 179 Savannah, GA.

Place Label Here!

St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church 14 West Anderson Street

Savannah, Georgia 31401

Address Service Requested

October 10th , 11th , 12th , 2013

Mark your calendars! Festival Baking: Kourabiedes-Sept.20th & 21st Please, join us and put your church and its needs on your schedule. Baklava dates will be announced. This is our church community project ….so let’s all lend a hand! !

11th Annual Savannah International Food & Wine Tasting Sponsored by Philoptochos on Saturday, September 7th: 3-6 pm; Silent Auction 3-5pm. Tickets are $30 prior to event and are available at the Hellenic Center. Tickets are $35 at the door.

REMINDER- ST. PAUL’S CHURCH PICNIC ON SEPT. 15th - see details and directions in this issue!