Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

September and October feature three commemorations of the Holy Cross. Even from the time of the Apostles, the Holy Cross was recognized as the symbol of salvation for all Christians. The cross is the place where God, who became human to redeem human suffering and death, was crucified and died.  It is also the place where He vanquished death through His resurrection, thereby rendering the cross a powerful symbol of eternal life.

The Armenian cross is symbolic of life in these ways:

• the crossbars intersect at a midpoint that signifies the four corners of the world meeting at life's center
• the "empty" Armenian cross (as opposed to the Catholic crucifix bearing the body of Jesus) emphasizes Jesus' victory over death
• the appearance of vines, grapes, and wheat as decorative motifs in the Armenian cross symbolizes the life generated from the cross which was otherwise an instrument of death

Every autumn, the Armenian Church celebrates the Exaltation of the Holy Cross - the most important of the four feasts of the Holy Cross.  

The Exaltation, known as Khachverats in Armenian, refers to the "raising up" or glorification of the cross.  An early tradition identifies St. James, the brother of the Lord-one of Jesus' 12 Apostles-as the first to exalt a cross.  Taking in hand a likeness (or perhaps an actual piece) of the original cross of the Crucifixion, St. James elevated it before the people, and venerated it as a symbol of "the power of God," praying: "We prostrate ourselves before your cross, O Christ."  Those very words in Armenian, Khachi ko, Krisdos, yergirbakanemk, are still repeated in our church services.

What was once an instrument of torture and death became the symbol of salvation, and victory over death.  We see in the cross the instrument on which our Lord sacrificed Himself in order to cleanse mankind of its sins.  The cross for us is the instrument of life: a divine sign that shows the power of life over death.