An additional Cross-word
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My priest, Father Elias, sent out an e-mail that contained the stories of both the finding of the Cross in the 4th century and its recovery in the 7th. I think everyone knows how St. Helen found the True Cross — if you don’t, HERE‘s a link — but I thought the story of reclaiming the Cross from the Persians was interesting as well.
Besides, who doesn’t want to win brownie points with their priest by reprinting his e-mails?

The Persian Emperor Chozroes conquered Jerusalem, enslaved many people, and took the Lord’s Cross to Persia. The Cross remained in Persia for fourteen years. In the year 628 the Greek Emperor Heraclius defeated Chozroes and, with much ceremony, returned the Cross to Jerusalem.As he entered the city Emperor Heraclius carried the Cross on his back, but suddenly was unable to take another step. Patriarch Zacharias saw an angel preventing the emperor from bearing the Cross on the same path that the Lord had walked barefoot and humiliated.
The patriarch communicated this vision to the emperor. The emperor removed his raiment and, in ragged attire and barefoot, took up the Cross, carried it to Golgotha, and placed it in the Church of the Resurrection, to the joy and consolation of the whole Christian world.
Related posts:
- Victory of the Cross
- The Orthodox problem in Jerusalem
- “Lord, have mercy”, cont.
- “We will break up the cross …”
- Do you know your Adoration from your Exaltation?
