What does the holiday mean the origin of the honest trees of the cross. The origin of the cross of the lord

Holiday "Wearing out (or origin) of the honest trees of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord" celebrated in the Orthodox Church on August 14 in a new style.

The history and meaning of the holiday
The feast of the bearing of the trees of the Cross of the Lord originated in the Greek Church in the 9th century. The word "wear and tear" (or "origin") is not quite a correct translation of the Greek word meaning a solemn procession or procession of the cross.
The life-giving Cross of the Lord was acquired during the reign of the holy Empress Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great, around 326. In honor of this great event, the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord was established, and since then the greatest shrine of the entire Christian world has been in the Byzantine Empire. Over time, a tradition arose to carry the Life-giving Cross of the Lord from the main church of the country, the temple in honor of St. Sophia-the Wisdom of God, where it was kept, and to carry it around the streets of Constantinople. The reason for this was the many epidemics that often occurred in August, and thus, passing with the procession through the city, the believers prayed for their deliverance from diseases and the consecration of the entire city with a great shrine. At the beginning, the Day of the Destruction of the Trees of the Cross of the Lord was a local holiday, but by the 13th century the tradition of celebrating this event had been established in many Local Orthodox Churches. In Russia, this holiday appeared only in the second half of the XIV century, when the Russian Church adopted the liturgical Jerusalem charter. However, in the Russian Orthodox Church, the holiday acquired a new meaning, as it began to serve as a memory of the Baptism of Rus. Although the exact date of the beginning of the Baptism of Rus is unknown, it is generally accepted that this great event began in August 988. By order of the Patriarch of All Russia Filaret, starting in 1627, on the day of the destruction of the trees of the Cross of the Lord, processions of the cross were performed throughout the country, and the consecration of water took place.
In the Russian Orthodox Church, along with this holiday, the feast of the All-Merciful Savior is also celebrated, in memory of the victory that Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky won over the Volga Bulgars in the second half of the 12th century. Through prayers before the Cross and the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, miraculous help was provided to the Russian army, and the enemy was defeated.
The feast of the bearing of the venerable trees of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord once again reminds of the atoning sacrifice made by Christ for the salvation of all mankind. Being the main symbol of Christianity, testifying to the triumph over death, the cross also reminds that the path to the Kingdom of Heaven is fraught with great hardships. Remembering the suffering of the Savior on the cross, every believer should remember that he is called to bear his life's cross, without which salvation is impossible.

Liturgical features of the holiday
According to its characteristics, the service of the feast of the carrying of the venerable trees of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord resembles the divine services of the Holy Cross Week of Great Lent, as well as the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord. This day is not one of the great holidays, therefore the celebration takes place only one day. At divine services, priests wear purple vestments. Before or after the liturgy, water is blessed, as well as honey, that is why in the folk tradition this holiday is called the "Savior of Honey". Unfortunately, for many people, the consecration of honey, fruit or water is the main purpose of the holiday, which obscures the meaning of the celebrated event. When bringing food to the temple for consecration, it should be remembered that by doing so, believers express their gratitude to God, who provides everyone with food.

Troparion, voice 1:
Save, Lord, Thy people and bless Thy property, giving victories to the Orthodox Christians in resisting and preserving Thy residence with Thy Cross.

Kontakion, voice 4:
Ascended to the Cross by will, / the same name of your new residence / grant your bounty, Christ God, / make us glad with your power, / giving us victories to our adversaries, / assistance to those who have your weapon of peace // invincible victory.

Magnification:
We magnify Thee, the Life-Giving Christ, and we honor Thy Holy Cross, and you saved us from the work of the enemy.

Prayer:
May God rise again, and scatter Him, and let those who hate Him flee from His presence. Yako smoke disappears, yes disappear; as if wax melts from the face of fire, so may demons perish from the face of those who love God and are marked by the sign of the cross, and in joy say: Rejoice, Most Honorable and Life-giving Cross of the Lord, drive away demons by the power of the prophesied Lord Jesus Christ on you, the power that has descended and gone down into hell to the devil, and who gave us to you His Honest Cross to drive out every adversary. Oh, Most Honorable and Life-giving Cross of the Lord! Help me with the Holy Lady the Virgin Mary and with all the saints forever. Amen.

Icon of the Origin of the Honorable Trees of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord.

In the calendar of the Orthodox Church, August 1 (14) is called the holiday "The Origin of the Honorable Trees of the Cross of the Lord." What does the Holy Church prayerfully remember on this day? Already in the very name of the holiday, we can see the essence of the event. The word "origin", or more precisely translated from Greek, then "pre-descent", that is, "carrying in front", means the procession taking place on that day with a part of the original Tree of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord. This custom existed from ancient times in the capital of the Byzantine Empire - in the city of St. Constantine. Already in the Rite of the Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenic (912-959) there are detailed rules for the removal of the Honorable Tree from the reliquary, performed before August 1. The Greek Book of Hours of 1897 explains this tradition as follows: “Due to illnesses that were very common in August, it has long been established in Constantinople to carry the Honorable Tree of the Cross to roads and streets to consecrate places and avert illnesses. On the eve, July 31st, having worn it out from the royal treasury, they put it on St. meal of the Great Church (Sofia). From now on, until the Dormition of the Theotokos, litias were performed throughout the city and the cross was offered to the people for worship. This is the pre-descent (προοδοσ) of the Holy Cross. "

In the month of the Russian Church until the end of the 14th and the beginning of the 15th centuries, when the Studian charter prevailed, neither July 31, nor August 1 there was any service to the Life-giving Cross of the Lord, which appears in the domestic liturgical tradition with the introduction of the Jerusalem charter. But in 1168 in Russia, under Metropolitan Constantine of Kiev, a celebration of the All-Merciful Savior, Christ our God, and the Most Holy Theotokos Mary, His Mother, was established on this day. The so-called "First Savior" in popular use. The reason for the establishment of this celebration in Russia was the victory won under Grand Duke Andrei Bogolyubsky by Russian troops over the Volga Bulgarians on August 1, and in Greece - the victory on the same day of the Greek emperor Manuel over the Mohammedans-Arabs or Saracens in 1164.

Tsar Manuel and Prince Andrew, who were in peace and brotherly love among themselves, happened to go to war on the same day: the first from Constantinople against the Saracens, and the second from Rostov against the Volga Bulgarians. The Lord God gave them complete victory over their enemies. The noble prince Andrei had a pious custom, marching to battle, taking with him an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos holding in her arms the Eternal Child, our Lord Jesus Christ, and the image of the honest Cross of Christ, which was carried among the troops by two priests. Just before the performance, he lifted up fervent tearful prayers to Christ and the Mother of God and communed with the Divine Mysteries of Christ. He armed himself with this invincible weapon more than with swords and spears, and hoped for the help of the Most High than for the courage and strength of his army, knowing well the saying of David: He does not look at the strength of a horse, does not take pleasure in the speed of human feet; The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who trust in His mercy (Psalm 146: 10-11). The prince also encouraged his soldiers to pray by the example of his own reverent prayers, and by direct command, and everyone, having fallen on their knees, prayed with tears before the icon of the Most Pure Theotokos and the honest Cross of Christ.

After fervent prayer, everyone kissed the holy icon and the honest Cross and went fearlessly against the enemies. The Lord helped them with the power of the cross, and the Most Pure Mother of God helped them, interceding for them before God.

Constantly adhering to this custom before each battle, the Grand Duke did not betray him before the battle against the Bulgarians: he went out, having, like Tsar Constantine the Great in ancient times, the Lord's Cross in front of the army. Having entered the field, the Russian army put the Bulgarians to flight and, pursuing them, captured five cities, including the city of Bryakhimov on the Kama River. When they returned to their camp after the battle with the unbelievers, they saw that from the icon of the Mother of God with the Christ-Child, light rays, similar to fiery ones, emanate, illuminating the entire army; it was on the first day of August. The wondrous sight even more aroused in the grand duke the spirit of courage and hope, and he again, turning his regiments in pursuit of the Bulgarians, pursued the enemy and burned most of their cities, putting tribute on the surviving ones.

The Greek emperor Manuel, who went out with his army against the Saracens, on the same day saw a similar miracle - the departure from the icon of the Most Pure Mother of God with the Savior, who was with the honest Cross among the army, overshadowing the entire regiment, and on that day he defeated the Saracen.

Prince Andrey Bogolyubsky soon learned about the miraculous event in Greece, and the Greek emperor Manuel - about a miracle similar by grace in Russia. Both of them glorified God for simultaneously manifesting over them both of His miraculous providence, and then, after consulting with their bishops and dignitaries, they decided to establish on August 1 a feast for the Lord and His Most Pure Mother.

In the Russian Church, this festival was also combined with the remembrance of the Baptism of Rus on August 1, 988. The news about the day of the Baptism of Rus was preserved in the chronographs of the 16th century: "The great prince Vladimir of Kiev and the whole of Russia on August 1 was baptized." In Constantinople, there has long been a custom to consecrate water on the first day of each month (except September and January) according to the Statute laid down under the Patriarch Photius of Constantinople. The order of performance was as follows: at the end of Matins, outside the church, in the presence of the emperor, water consecration was performed, and "after the consecration of water comes the protopresbyter, and in the footsteps of his archdeacon and protopsalt, if any, or another of equal rank, the archdeacon, carrying the Cross, and the last one is a vessel with holy water. The emperor goes to meet. The protopresbyter, taking the Cross from the archdeacon, brings it to the lips of the emperor and says a prayer. The emperor kisses the Cross, and those around him sing for many years. " The pious Byzantine court custom to consecrate water on the first day of every month was inherited by Orthodox Russia and laid the foundation for the consecration of water on August 1, possibly with this tradition and the choice of the day of baptism for the people of Kiev.

In the "Legend of the effective ranks of the holy catholic and apostolic great church of the Assumption", compiled in 1627 by order of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Filaret, such an instruction is given regarding the feast of the Holy Cross on August 1: water and enlightenment for the sake of human, in all hail and weight ". And in accordance with this, on this day, according to the established tradition, a small consecration of water is performed in all churches, after which the honey of a new honey collection is consecrated. According to the pious way of life, which has been taking shape for centuries in Russia, a Russian person began any action with a prayer, asking for God's blessing for his work, and ended with a prayer of thanks. On this day, beekeepers in the first cut-out honeycombs wore honey to consecrate to the church, timed to coincide with the festive consecration of water, which took place according to tradition on the feast of the Origin of the Honorable Trees of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord. ... Part of the consecrated honey ("priest's share") remained in the church, then the clergy, orphans and beggars were treated to: "On the First Savior, the beggar will try honey!" Therefore, the First Savior was called "honey".

This is how the Origin of the Honest Trees of the Lord's Cross was celebrated in Moscow under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich: on the eve of the holiday, that is, on the eve of the Savior's conspiracy, on the evening of July 31, “from Evdokimov's day to the Origin,” the sovereign went to the Simonov Monastery, where he listened to Vespers, and the holiday was matins. Opposite the Simonov Monastery, on the Moskva River, a Jordan was set up, as on the day of the Epiphany. A canopy was built over the water on four pillars with a cornice, which was painted and crowned with a golden cross. In the corners of the Jordan, the holy evangelists were depicted, inside it were the apostles and saints. The Jordan canopy was decorated with flowers, leaves, images of birds, and two places were arranged around it - for the sovereign, in the form of a round five-domed temple, and for the patriarch, which were painted and decorated with carvings, fenced off with a gilded lattice; the platform around them was covered with scarlet cloth. At the appointed time, under the bell ringing, the sovereign went out into the water, surrounded by boyars and servicemen, for the solemn consecration of the water.

After reading the prayers and immersing the Cross in the water, the sovereign with the boyars descended into the Jordan, placing the holy Crosses with relics - gold, adorned with precious stones - on the usual exit dress. One of the Crosses belonged to the first Moscow Metropolitan - Saint Peter, others were blessed by Tsar Alexei by his grandmother, nun Martha Ivanovna. Having changed under the "shade" in a dry dress, the tsar applied to the Cross and received the patriarchal blessing. The clergy sprinkled the troops and banners with the blessed "Jordanian" water, and holy water was poured out to those who wished. Two silver vessels with this water were sent to the royal palace.

After the rite of consecration of water, festivities were organized. In Moscow, people gathered for a walk near the Simonov Monastery, and in Novgorod, the Spasskaya "holiday" was timed to the holiday - a folk festivities that took place on an island near the serfs "Proishozhdensky", or water gates, which got their name from the fact that a procession to the river passed through these gates Volkhov.

Not only in cities, but also in the villages of Russia, there was a solemn carrying of the Cross, a procession was made to reservoirs (rivers, lakes, ponds) and water sources (wells), where prayers and consecration of water took place, hence the popular name of the holiday: "Savior on the Water ", or Spas Vodny (Wet). After the consecration of water, it was customary to bathe: "To bathe at the Savior - unrequited sins will be forgiven." In addition to people, horses were bathed downstream, and shepherds brought livestock from pastures and drove them into the river in order to protect animals from infectious diseases.

In the Zaraisk district, teenage boys drove horses from neighboring parishes to a meadow near the Osetr River. The horses were lined up in two or three lines, leaving a passage between them, and they awaited the arrival of the procession with banners and icons. At the end of the prayer service and the consecration of the water, the priest, accompanied by the clerk, walked through the rows of horses and sprinkled them with holy water from the candea. In some places, the horses were not sprinkled with water, but were driven by swimming across the river, in which the water was previously consecrated.

From all of the above, we see that the celebration in the Russian Church of the day "The Origin of the Trees of the Honorable and Life-giving Cross of the Lord" has a special, unique character, since in the Russian tradition this festival combined several traditions of different times and firmly entered the way of life of our people who always cherished his pious life.

Troparion, voice 1

Save, Lord, Thy people / and bless Thy property, / giving victories to the resistance / and Thy keeping with Thy Cross the residence.

On August 14 (August 1 according to the Julian calendar), on the first day of the Dormition Lent, the Church celebrates the Origin (wear out) of the Honorable Trees of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord. According to the Charter, it refers to small holidays "with praise", but has one day of the forefeast.

The word "origin", or more precisely translated from the Greek language, then "pre-descent", that is, "carrying in front", means the procession (procession of the cross) taking place on that day with a part of the original Tree of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord. Already in the Rite of the Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenic (912-959) there are detailed rules for the removal of the Honorable Tree from the reliquary, performed before August 14. The Greek Book of Hours of 1897 explains this tradition as follows: “ Due to illnesses, which very often happened in August, the custom has long been established in Constantinople to carry the Honorable Tree of the Cross to the roads and streets to consecrate places and avert illnesses. " This is the “pre-descent” of the Holy Cross. Therefore, the word “wear and tear” was added to the name of the holiday».

The holiday was established in the capital of the Byzantine Empire, Constantinople, in the 9th century, and in the 12th-13th centuries it was established in all Orthodox churches. In Russia, this holiday appeared with the spread of the Jerusalem charter at the end of the XIV century.

On August 14, the Russian Orthodox Church also celebrates Feast of the All-Merciful Savior and the Most Holy Theotokos in memory of the signs from the honest icons of the Savior and the Mother of God during the battles of the Greek king Manuel (1143-1180) with the Saracens and the Russian prince Andrei Bogolyubsky with the Volga Bulgarians in 1164.

Prince Andrey Bogolyubsky ( son of Grand Duke Yuri Vladimirovich and grandson of the glorious Vladimir Monomakh) took on a campaign against the Volga Bulgarians ( Bulgarians, or Bulgars, were called the pagans who lived on the lower reaches of the Volga) the miraculous icon of the Vladimir Mother of God and the Honorable Cross of Christ, before the battle, prayed fervently, asking for the protection and patronage of the Lady. Having entered the field, the Russian army put the Bulgarians to flight and, pursuing them, captured five cities, including the city of Bryakhimov on the Kama River. When they returned to their camp after the battle with the infidels, they saw that from the icon of the Mother of God with the Infant Christ, light rays, similar to fiery ones, emanate, illuminating the entire army. The wondrous sight even more aroused in the grand duke the spirit of courage and hope, and he again, turning his regiments in pursuit of the Bulgarians, pursued the enemy and burned most of their cities, putting tribute on the surviving ones.

On the same day, thanks to the help from above, the Roman emperor Manuel won a victory over the Saracens (Muslims). The Greek emperor Manuel Comnenus, who went out with his army against the Saracens, on the same day saw a similar miracle - the departure from the icon of the Most Pure Mother of God with the Savior, who was with the honest Cross among the army, overshadowing the entire regiment, and on that day he defeated the Saracen.

Tsar Manuel and Prince Andrew, who were in peace and brotherly love among themselves, happened to go to war on the same day: the first from Constantinople against the Saracens, and the second from Rostov against the Volga Bulgarians. The Lord God gave them complete victory over their enemies.

Prince Andrey Bogolyubsky soon learned about the miraculous event in Greece, and the Greek emperor Manuel - about a miracle similar by grace in Russia. Both of them glorified God, and then, after consulting with their bishops and dignitaries, they decided to establish on August 14 feast of the Lord and His Most Pure Mother.

On this holiday, the carrying out of the Cross and worship of it is supposed to be in the temples. According to the rite accepted today in the Russian Church, the small consecration of water on August 14, according to the new style, is performed before or after the liturgy. According to tradition, along with the blessing of water, the blessing of honey is performed.

Kontakion of the Cross of the Lord, Tone 4
Ascended to the Cross by will, / the same name of your new residence / grant your bounty, Christ God, / make us glad with your power, / giving us victories to our adversaries, / assistance to those who have your weapon of peace // invincible victory.

Celebration The origin of the Honest and Life-giving Cross of the Lord occurs 14 august(August 1, Old Style). On the same day we celebrate the All-Merciful Savior.

The origin of the Honest and Life-giving Cross of the Lord. history of the holiday

According to legend, in Constantinople from ancient times (no later than the 8th century) there was a custom to take out the honest Tree of the Cross on the roads and streets to consecrate places and to drive away diseases. From August 1 (Old Style) and until the feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, performing litias throughout the city, they offered the Cross to the people for worship. In the Russian Orthodox Church, this holiday was combined with the remembrance of the Baptism of Rus on August 1, 988. The news about this has been preserved in the chronograph of the 16th century: “ The Grand Duke Vladimir of Kiev and All Russia was baptized August 1". In the charter of the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, drawn up in 1627 at the direction of Patriarch Filaret, the following explanation of this holiday is given:

And on the Origin on the day of the Honest Cross, there is a course of consecration for the sake of water and enlightenment for the sake of humanity, in all cities and towns.

The celebration of the All-Merciful Savior and the Most Holy Theotokos was established on the occasion of signs from the icons of the Savior, the Most Pure Virgin Mary and the Holy Cross during the battle of the holy noble Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky (1157-1174) with the Volga Bulgarians (1164), in which the enemies were defeated. At the same time, the Greek emperor Manuel defeated the Saracens in battle, and his troops also had signs from the holy icons. This is the first of the three feasts of the All-Merciful Savior, celebrated in August (the second is, and the third is the Transfer of the Image of Our Lord Jesus Christ not made by hands from Edessa to Constantinople).

The holiday was established in Constantinople in the 9th century, initially as a local one. In the XII-XIV centuries, it was established in all Orthodox churches. It appeared in Russia with the spread of the Jerusalem charter at the end of the XIV century.

The origin of the Cross of the Lord. Troparion and kontakion to the holiday

Troparion, voice 8

Despising the lofty, accepting the poor, look upon the Savior, and visit us with embittered sins, Master All-Merciful, with the prayers of the Mother of God, grant our souls great mercy.

Kontakion, voice 4

All filthiness of the All-Merciful and Savior, I am a doer, and the moat will sink into despair. But I groan from my heart, and cry out to You the Word, hurry up the generous ones, and reach out for our help, like the Merciful.

The origin of the Holy Cross. Icons

The composition consists of two parts: at the top is the worship of the Savior in the form of Deesis, and below it is a miraculous source with the sick receiving healing. The icon from the Intercession Monastery above the source depicts angels, and behind them is a cross, crowned with a wreath. This reminded of the main theme of the holiday - the worship of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord. As for Deesis, his image on Russian icons corresponded, apparently, to the traditional Russian dedication of the holiday on August 14, not only to the Cross, but also to the Savior and the Mother of God. The icon from the Intercession Monastery is one of the earliest surviving icons on this subject. According to a later legend, it was invested in the monastery by Vasily III in 1515. Painting techniques do not contradict this date and, moreover, allow us to confidently assume that the icon was executed by the followers of Dionysius. It is possible that Dionysius was directly associated with the iconography of the "Origin of the Trees": it is known that in the 1480s he painted the Church of the Savior in Chigasy, located opposite the Kremlin, beyond the Yauza, and died in a fire in 1547. The dedication of the church in Chigasy to the All-Merciful Savior directly indicates the feast of August 14, and the temple icon performed by Dionysius could serve as a model for later works.

The origin of the honest trees of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord. 1510-1520s (about 1515?). Vladimir-Suzdal History, Art and Architecture Museum Reserve, Vladimir
The origin of the honest trees of the Cross of the Lord. Double-sided extension icon. Turnover - Baptism of the Lord. Russian North. XVII century Central Museum of Old Russian Culture and Art named after Andrey Rublev, Moscow
The origin of the Honest trees of the Cross of the Lord. First quarter of the 16th century Yaroslavl Art Museum, Yaroslavl

On the Solvychegodskaya (?) Icon in the center of the composition there is a cruciform well - a source to which people with an icon and a Cross approach from both sides. At the head of the procession are the saints. An angel hovering over the spring lowers the Cross into the font. The intricate architectural curtains in the background above indicate that the action takes place outside the city walls. The patrons and intercessors of the inhabitants of the city, who pray to Christ for mercy to them and the bestowal of blessings, are the Theotokos and John the Baptist, as evidenced by the image of the three-figured Deesis raised above the “city landscape”. A wide stream of water flows from the source down the mountain, to which people fall to heal from various ailments. The scene of the healing of the sick occupies a significant part of the icon's composition.

Folk traditions of the holiday of the Origin of the Holy Cross

The people called the holiday of the Origin of the Holy Cross of the Lord the "honey" Savior, and in some places even the "wet" one. These names originated from the fact that to the first Savior, i.e. honey, the bees cut the hives with honey for the second time and, having chosen the best linden honeycomb, carried them to the church "for the commemoration of the parents." On the same day, they brewed "copper" kvass and treated everyone who came to visit. The first Savior was called "Wet" because, according to the establishment of the church, on that day there was a procession of the cross to the rivers and springs for the consecration of water. And since the peasants not only bathed themselves after the procession, but used to bathe in the rivers and all the cattle, which seemed to be healthy after that, it is not surprising that the holiday itself was called "wet". The First Savior was especially revered in the southern part of Great Russia, where bread and fruits were ripening earlier and where the role and significance of the Second Savior was attributed to this holiday, since the consecration of bread and vegetables in the south was very often carried out before the Transfiguration of the Lord, precisely on August 14.

August 14 is the day of remembrance of the seven Old Testament martyrs Maccabees, who died in 166 BC. NS. Folk etymology rethought the name of the holiday in connection with the poppy, which ripens by this time. On this day, Makan people were baked, and macaques were baked - lean pies, rolls, buns, gingerbread cookies with poppy seeds and honey. The meal often began with pancakes with poppy seeds. Poppy milk was prepared for pancakes - a poppy-honey mass in which pancakes were dipped. Poppy milk was prepared in a special dish, which in Russia was called makalnik, in Ukraine - makitra, in Belarus - makater. Poppy is mentioned in many proverbs, sayings, choral songs and riddles: "Machok with honey - you will lick your mustache", "Cheren poppy, but boyars eat", "I am glad Jacob that pie with poppy seeds", "Remember poppy, do not be angry and so" , "There is a town on a stamen, there are seven hundred governors in it." On Maccabee day, the youth danced round dances with the song "Oh, on the Poppy Mountain", with playful round dance flirtations, the girls showered the guy with poppy seeds, pinched him, tickled him, singing: "Poppies, poppies, poppies, golden heads!"

In some Serbian villages, water and young basil were blessed on Medovy Spas. From that day on, they stopped swimming in reservoirs. It was believed that those who work on this day can get an incurable disease. In Macedonia, the weather during the Maccabees (6 or 12 days of Maccabees) served to predict the weather for the next 6 months or for the entire next year (the weather on August 1 predicted the weather for January next year, etc.). Bulgarians from 1 to 12 August observed the sun, wind and precipitation and thus wondered about the weather for the next 12 months, that is, the next year, which earlier began on 1 September. In northwestern Bulgaria, the sons-in-law went to visit their wife's parents, where they were greeted with bread from the new harvest and wine, in connection with which the day was called “Zetovden”.

The history of the Lord's Cross, which is one of the main Christian relics, dates back to the time of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The Lord's Cross to this day gives believers the miracles of salvation and healing.

The origin of the life-giving tree

The history of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord is based on the legends about the life-giving tree on which Jesus was crucified, but still giving miracles of healing and liberation.

The Bible does not answer the question of what tree the instrument of death was made, on which Christ was crucified. In the Gospels, it is already being prepared about him as an instrument of crucifixion.

Apocryphal sources store a lot of interesting reliable data about the origin of the legendary tree.

According to the legend of the Bogomils, the Christian trend of the 5th century, which came from Bulgaria, the paradise tree of good and evil fell into three parts during the expulsion of Adam and Eve. The central part remained in the Garden of Eden, and subsequently the Cross for the crucifixion of Christ was made from it.

According to the Golden Legend, Adam's son Seth went to the gates of the Garden of Eden with a request to give him oil to anoint his dying father. Archangel Michael refused him, saying that this oil was closed for 5.5 thousand years before the time of Jesus' birth, but he presented Seth with a branch from the tree of good and evil. Seth did not find his father alive, a wreath was woven from the branch of the legendary tree and put on Adam's head during burial.

Death of Adam, artist - Pierro Dela Francesca

From this branch subsequently grew a tree, cut down by the servants of King Solomon for the construction of the temple in Jerusalem. Due to the discrepancy in size, it was used as a support for the bridge.

The Queen of Sheba, who has the gift of prophecy when visiting King Solomon, stopped near a bridge and knelt in front of a historic tree. According to her, this tree is intended to become an instrument of death for the Savior of the world, after which the Jews will be ruined.

King Solomon knew the Queen of Sheba and her gift of vision well. The prediction frightened him in earnest. By order of the king, the tree was dismantled from the bridge and buried.

The wood of this bar was later used to equip a swimming pool in Bethesda, whose water attracted cripples with its healing qualities.

When Jesus was arrested, this tree emerged from the foot of the pool, the cypress, from which the trunk of the Life-Giving Shrine was made, the crossbeams were made of pine and cedar.

Important! The history of the life-giving Cross of the Lord formed the basis of the feast of the first Savior, which is celebrated on August 14. It is popularly known as the Honey Savior.

Legends about the acquisition of a life-giving shrine

Slavic and Greek legends tell of the Cross, which has eight ends and is made of three parts. These legends are based on the words of the prophet Isaiah, where he names three types of wood that will bring glory to the foot.

The cypress served as the material for the pillar. For the crossbar, to which the Holy hands of the Son of God were nailed, they used a pevga or pine, in a different way. The lower part of the instrument of death was made of cedar, and the legs of the Innocent Lamb were nailed to it.

After the death of Jesus, the Equal-to-the-Apostles Empress Elena gave orders to find the location of the shrine.

Isaiah 60:13 "The glory of Lebanon will come to you, cypress and pevg and together the cedar, to decorate the place of my sanctuary, and I will glorify my footstool."

Icon "Finding the Cross"

The Jews hid the holy burial place of the cross of Jesus from the Christians until torture was applied to one of them, Judas, by order of Helen. (The story goes that he was subsequently baptized and ordained bishop in Jerusalem.)

The Jewish prophet Judas was a descendant of the first martyr Stephen, who died ha Christ. The prophet's father knew about the place where the three instruments of the crucifixion were buried, but he strictly kept this secret. According to legend, the discovery of a Christian relic will be the beginning of the end of the superiority of the Jewish religion over all others.

About other Lord's holidays:

Judas was thrown into a dry well, where he was to die of exhaustion until he indicated the burial place of the shrine. After seven days of prayer and invocations to God, the prophet was given a sign.

For reference! Information about the person who found the burial place of the relic has the meaning of legend. Some sources indicate the name of the Christian Ablavius.

The place indicated by the prophet gave off a light vapor filled with a sweet scent. Elena ordered excavations at the place of Christ's execution, where the honest tree was discovered.

How was the truth of the instrument of Christ's crucifixion determined?

During the excavation of the holy place, three crosses were found. It was not possible to determine which of them belonged to Christ. According to one of the legends, the faith of the Jerusalem bishop Macarius, who appealed to God and asked for help, helped.

The sign came in answer to prayer. God showed Macarius that a woman was dying in their country, suffering from an incurable disease for a long time. From the touch of the life-giving shrine, she will recover. The trees on which the robbers were crucified did not give any result, and the dying woman sighed from the precious shrine and immediately recovered.

All over the world there are several versions of the acquisition of a Christian relic. Each of them has its own adherents.

At the behest of Elena, allegedly given to her by an angel, the Life-giving Cross was distributed in parts to different parts of the earth.

Perhaps these are legends, but the Life-giving Cross and even its parts still exist today and gives the believers in this shrine all new miracles, answers to prayers.

The rewards from Jerusalem with pieces from the Life-Giving Tree are the most valuable.

Other versions of the origin of the venerable trees of the Cross of the Lord (Honey Savior)

According to history, the Honey Savior is celebrated as a memory of two events that happened simultaneously in Russia under Prince Bogolyubsky and during the Byzantine campaign of Emperor Manuel. The first of them fought with the Volga Bulgars, and the Byzantines - with the Turks.

In both cases, the strength of the enemy was far superior to the defenders of their land. Under the cover of the icons of the Savior and the Mother of God, both Christian troops ascended into Heaven a fervent prayer - a petition for the grant of victory. God heard the cries of believers and rewarded them according to their faith. In the sky above both troops stood the life-giving tree of the Cross of the Lord as a Divine weapon against enemies.

Important! On this day, the Dormition Fast begins, so there is a strict restriction in food, amusements and amusements. On August 14, it is customary to go to church and bless honey and poppy seeds.

Holy gift in Godenovo - the outback of Russia

The transformation of pagan Rus into one of the centers of Orthodoxy is the great grace of the Lord and His wonderful providence.

The historical events of 1423 in the Rostov bogs, near the Nikolsky churchyard, changed the life of the entire region. The origin of the Life-giving Cross in Godenovo is described by the historical recollections of the shepherds, who were the first to see the sign in heaven.

While the shepherds grazed the cattle, the sky on the east side was illuminated with an inexpressible light. The unearthly beauty of the radiance bewitched the shepherds. They went to the place of the glow and saw an inexplicable phenomenon - the Honest Cross, Jesus crucified on Him, and at the foot of Saint Nicholas, holding the Holy Gospel in his hands.

A voice from Heaven announced that this place was chosen for the grace of God. The shepherds were instructed to tell the whole world about this event, with instructions to build a temple of God here, so that everyone who comes with prayer to the Miraculous Crucifixion would receive healing and deliverance.

Miracles began from the first day of the construction of the church, which received the blessing of Archbishop Dionysius.

Read about miracles in Orthodoxy:

The builders considered that it was impossible to build a temple in the middle of a swamp, and decided to lay the foundation a little off to the side, on land.

The coming next morning caused exclamations of admiration and surprise, the construction that had begun was transferred to the marshlands, where a miraculous sign was manifested. Through the night, dry land formed at this place, and near it a river.

All participants in the construction of the temple received healings:

• the lame began to walk;
• blind to see;
• the patients recovered.

Lists of people who received the grace of healing from the Life-giving Cross were kept with special reverence, but they all burned down during the fires, and God's creation remained unharmed.

Interesting. When the atheists came to power, it was decided to destroy the temple and burn the crucifix. Only the Lord did not allow the monsters to either saw or break the miraculous creation, which in 1933 was transferred to the village of Godenovo, where the Zlatoust temple was located.

To this day, the folk path to the shrine with miraculous power is not overgrown.

Modern miracles and healings in Godenovo

Much can be done by intensified prayer at the Life-giving Cross in Godinovo.

Prayer to the Holy and Life-giving Cross of the Lord

Before the wondrous miraculous power, the Four-pointed and Tripartite Cross of Christ, prostrate in the dust at your foot, I bow down to you, Honest Tree, driving away from me all demonic fire and liberating me from all troubles, sorrows and misfortunes. Thou art the Tree of Life. You are the purification of the air, the illumination of the holy temple, the fence of my dwelling, the protection of my bed, the enlightenment of my mind, heart and all my feelings. Your holy sign protects me from the day of my birth, enlightens me from the day of my baptism; it is with me and on me all the days of my life, both on dry land and on the waters. It will accompany me to the grave, and my ashes will overshadow. It, the holy sign of the miraculous Cross of the Lord, will announce to the whole universe about the hour of the universal resurrection of the dead and the last Terrible and Righteous Judgment of God. About the Honorable Cross! With your overshadowing, teach and bless me, unworthy, always undoubtedly believing in your invincible Power, protect me from every adversary and heal all my mental and physical ailments. Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, by the power of the Honest and Life-giving Thy Cross, have mercy and save me, a sinner, from now and forever and ever. Amen.

Miracles and healings that come from touching a holy relic, which is not like it in the whole of Russia (according to the experts of the Russian Museum), are entered into special lists.

A miraculous shrine has a wonderful property - when they want to harm it, destroy it or take it out of the temple, the statue seems to be filled with weight, so much so that no force can move it. And they chopped it down with axes, sawed it with saws, pricked it, burned it. All in vain. Wood is transformed by its strength into an unknown metal that cannot be processed.

Life-giving Cross (Goddenovo)

On the other hand, two little nuns, if necessary, can easily move the Shrine from place to place.

To prevent pilgrims from kissing the foot of the crucifixion, atheists oiled the holy tree with machine oil, but they were wrecked. The holy crucifix began to emit the smell of incense, a myrrh scent.

Many healings still take place in front of the nuns:

• cancerous tumors;
• kidney disease;
• toothache;
• instant wound healing.

How to get to the shrine

Pilgrimage services will help you to visit the Life-giving Cross in Godenovo and to get from Moscow to the place of worship.

You can get to Godenovo from Moscow in a few hours, by train or bus to Petrovsk, then you should change to a local bus that runs on schedule.

By car, you should drive 180 kilometers from Moscow to Petrovsk, then turn right at the sign indicating the way to the Zlatoustovsky temple.

Passing the village of Demyanskoye, turn left towards Priozernoye. After this village turn to Godenovo, the road itself will lead to the Monastery of the Descent of the Cross. From Petrovsk to Godenovo only 15 km.

Advice! When planning a pilgrimage trip, it should be borne in mind that the road to Petrovsk is asphalted, and the dirt road takes longer, on especially rainy days it is not easy to get to the temple.