Continued 👇🏾
the Nature of the Holy Cross
The Holy Cross is not only a symbol but the very place where the mystery of salvation was revealed. Upon it, many sick were healed, the dead were raised, and countless miracles were performed.
It is upon the Cross that:
God revealed His love for mankind (Phil. 2:8; 1 Jn. 4:9; Jn. 3:16).
The flesh and blood of Christ were tested (Book of Mysteries, Abba George 5:28).
Man was reconciled with God (2 Cor. 5:19; Eph. 2:14).
Sin was broken (Rom. 6:22).
The power of death was abolished (Heb. 2:14–15; 2 Tim. 1:10).
Salvation was accomplished (1 Pet. 2:24).
Satan was defeated (Col. 1:20).
Peace was given (Col. 1:20).
Believers received strength (1 Cor. 1:18).
Therefore, the Cross is the defeat of demons and the punishment of unclean spirits. It is the perfect medicine for both body and soul. It is the power by which angels serve and priests minister. It is the crown of the Holy Church, the crown of monasteries, and the glory of all Christians.
The Honor of the Cross
The Psalmist, speaking with prophetic voice, declared: “We will worship at the foot of the throne of God” (Ps. 131:7). And St. Yared, the heavenly harp of Ethiopia, echoes this by singing: “We will worship at the foot of the throne, O Lord, the Holy One of Israel” (Tsome Diguwa). Therefore, our Holy Church, adorned with hymnody and prayer, bows before the Cross with grace and reverence.
Why? Because the Cross is the very body upon which Christ was crucified, the altar stained with His most precious Blood, the place where His boundless power was revealed. Thus St. Yared proclaims in the Deguwa: “On this day, the feast of the Cross, glorious in heaven and on earth, may it shine upon the nations, may it be praised forever.”
Indeed, the Church has never celebrated a liturgy, sung a hymn, or lifted a prayer without the Cross being named, remembered, and exalted. Twice each year she holds great feasts in its honor on Megabit 10 and Meskerem 17 yet every day, every hour, the Cross is praised upon her lips.
The Tradition of the Cross
When the Cross of our Lord first revealed its power, raising the dead and shining with light, the envious Jews sought to bury it in shame. They covered it with refuse, and over time a hill rose upon it. As generations passed, the memory of its place faded into silence.
But the Lord, who hides treasures only to reveal them in due season, stirred the heart of Queen Eleni, mother of Constantine the Great. She vowed that if her son embraced Christ, she would journey to Jerusalem and recover the buried Cross. She raised him in the fear of God, and Constantine, strengthened by heavenly power, cast down his enemies and reigned as a Christian king.
True to her vow, Eleni came to Jerusalem. Guided by the wisdom of an old man named Kirakos, she set fire to wood upon the hill of refuse on Meskerem 16. As the smoke of incense ascended, it pointed to the hidden place of the Cross. She dug with zeal, and on Megabit 10, the precious Cross of Christ was revealed.
St. Yared sings of this miracle: “The Cross was buried on Golgotha; the Jews who cast it away were buried in their shame. A miracle was performed when the noble Queen Eleni found the Holy Cross a wonder and a marvel!” (Book of the Cross, p. 26).
Thus, on Meskerem 16, the faithful gather wood for the great fire of Demera, lighting torches and singing with joy: “Eyoha Abebaye Meskerem Tebaye” And on Meskerem 17, the Church consecrates the memory of the Cross, recalling its revelation with splendor and awe.
Continues 👇🏾