Archiepiscopal Encyclical for the Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross (2018)
We proclaim the Cross to be an invincible shield, a divine scepter, and the
boast of the faithful. We exalt it affirming that the Cross sanctifies to
the ends of the world
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The Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross (2017)
Today we venerate the precious and life-giving Cross of our Lord as it is
lifted up in our midst. We are gathered on this blessed feast to exalt
before all of the world the Cross that became a means of peace, a trophy of
godliness, and the door to salvation. We offer praises to God for through
the Cross, death and corruption have been destroyed and the power of grace
has transformed our lives.
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Encyclical for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (09/14/2016)
Our reconciliation to God through the Cross was an act of great sacrifice.
In lifting up the Cross before us, we recognize that an instrument of grace
was also an instrument of suffering and death. We acknowledge the
unfathomable burden that was assumed by our Lord as He took our sin upon
Himself as an unblemished offering.
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Encyclical for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross (09/14/2015)
The Feast of the Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross
is a blessed day and celebration of the tremendous power of the Cross of
our Lord. Through the Cross the power and wisdom of God have been revealed.
By the Cross we are reconciled to Him, and we can find true and enduring
peace. It is the Cross that directs us to Christ and to the way of
salvation and eternal life.
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Encyclical for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross (09/14/2014)
We lift up the Cross because while it was used as an instrument of torture
and indignity, it brought honor and glory to God. It was used as a means of
ending life, but it became entrance to eternity. It was used as a violent
weapon, but for believers it became a weapon of true peace. The Cross, a
symbol of suffering and defeat, through Christ it became a symbol of hope
and victory. Instead of death, our Lord through the Cross brought us life
and abundance of life.
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Encyclical for the Feast of the Cross (09/14/2013)
On this blessed Feast of the Universal Exaltation of the Precious and
Life-Giving Cross, we joyfully continue our celebration of the jubilee
anniversary of our beloved Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. We
give thanks to God for this blessed place of faith and learning and for the
role this institution of our Holy Archdiocese has had in nurturing the call
to priestly service, in training future clergy and lay leaders, and in
strengthening the mission and witness of our Church in America and of our
Orthodox faith around the world.
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Encyclical for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross (09/14/2012)
On this blessed Feast of the Universal Exaltation of the Precious and
Life-Giving Cross, we join with the heavenly hosts and all creation in
glorifying Christ and venerating the Cross by which He has brought us
healing, restoration, and triumph of life over death. As we experience in
the hymns and prayers of this feast, it is a day of great joy and
celebration.
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Encyclical for the Exaltation of the Cross (09/14/2011)
The annual commemoration of this great Feast of the Exaltation of the
Precious and Life-Giving Cross is a blessed occasion to affirm our offering
of continued prayers and solid support for our beloved Holy Cross Greek
Orthodox School of Theology and for those who serve and study there. Our
support for Holy Cross is essential to the spiritual well being of our
Church and faithful in America and beyond.
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Encyclical for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross (09/14/2010)
On this Feast of the Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving
Cross, I greet you in the love and joy of our Lord Jesus Christ, and I ask
you to contemplate the meaning of our commemoration through one of the
inspiring hymns of this day. In the service of Great Vespers we sing:
“Enlighten us by your brightness, O life-giving Cross; make us holy by your
might O all venerable Cross; and strengthen us through your Exaltation.”
This threefold prayerful petition as presented in the hymn offers guidance
to us in understanding the meaning of the glorious Feast of the Universal
Exaltation of the Precious Cross.
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Encyclical for the Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross (09/14/2009)
I greet you in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ on the Feast of the
Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross, a major Feast
of our Holy Orthodox Church which we commemorate each year on September 14.
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Encyclical for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross (09/14/2008)
Each year on September 14, our Holy Orthodox Church celebrates the Feast of
the Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross. This
important event in the liturgical life of the Church reminds us of the
continuous presence of Christ in our midst. Specifically, it reminds us of
His redemptive work of dying on the Cross for our salvation. Christ’s
crucifixion on the Cross serves as the precursor to his Resurrection; and
it is for this reason that we refer to the Cross, once a horrifying
instrument of death, as a sacred symbol of that which is “Precious and
Life-giving.”
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Encyclical for the Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross (09/14/2007)
On this glorious feast of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross we are guided
through the worship of our Holy Orthodox Church to contemplate the great
victory accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ, "the pioneer and perfecter
of our Faith", as He is described in the twelfth chapter of the Epistle to
Hebrews. The opening verses of this chapter present to us, in very
applicable ways for our modern life, a set of distinct visual images that
describe the endurance and victory of Christ and its meaning for our
salvation.
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Encyclical for the Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross (09/14/2006)
I joyfully communicate with you on the blessed occasion of the Feast of the
Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross. On this
important Feast of our Holy Orthodox Church, we gather together as a
community and elevate the symbol of the cross in our midst. This is a
fitting opportunity to consider the supreme meaning of this symbol and its
centrality in our lives as Orthodox Christians.
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Encyclical for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (09/14/2004)
On this glorious feast day of the Church, we celebrate with joy the finding
and elevation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ.
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Encyclical on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross (09/14/2003)
I greet you in the love of Christ our Lord on the Feast of the Exaltation
of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross, a major feast of our Orthodox
Church. This day is important because it accords us the opportunity to
ponder the sacred quality of sacrificial love as we exalt and venerate the
precious Cross in the midst of our communities. Each time we see the figure
of the Cross, we are immediately reminded of our ultimate Christian
mission, the essence of which is endless love and service to others.
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Encyclical for the Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross (09/14/2002)
On the day of the Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross we
celebrate the power and victory of our Lord over sin and death. We rejoice
in our reconciliation to God through the Cross, for now we have been made
fellow citizens with the saints, we have become members of the household of
God (Ephesians 2:16-19). Through the blood of Christ the covenant of
promise has been restored, hope has been renewed; and as we were dead in
our sins, now by the grace of God through faith we have been granted life
(Ephesians 2:1, 8).
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