3 – Sunday, September 21, 28, 2014

The Feast of the Cross

http://st-takla.org/books/en/church/synaxarium/01-toot/17-tout-cross.html

Memorization questions:

1. When, and who discovered the place of Jesus’ cross?  The Cross was uncovered by the lover of God, Queen Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine, from under pile garbage in Golgotha. It was discovered onthe tenth of Baramhat.
2. If the cross was uncovered on the tenth of Baramhat, why we are celebrating on Tute 17?   Tute 17 is the day of consecration of the church of the Cross. But since the tenth of Baramhat always comes during fasting, it was substituted by the fathers for the seventeenth of Tute which is the day of consecration of its church.
3. Why the Jewish leaders ordered the people to throw all their house dirt over Jesus Christ cross for more than 200 years, until it became a very great heap? They were angry and jealous because they have seen that the cross was healing the sick, and doing many miracles.
4. What St. Helen did when she found Jesus’ cross? She built a church for it, consecrated it and celebrated for the Honorable Cross on the seventeenth day of the month of Tute. Christians make pilgrimages to that place every year as they do on the feast of the Resurrection.
5. How Isaac the Samaritan believed in the cross? Isaac was mocking people for believing in the cross. As he was travelling, he came across a well and wanted to drink, but the water was very bitter and nasty. Issac again mocked the cross, and joked among people that if he cross the water and the water change sweet, he will believe in the cross. A priest called Okhidus prayed over the water and made the sign of the cross on it, and the water became sweet, and he and all the people drank from it. When Isaac drank, the water changed bitter again. He cried and regrets his act, and believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. This time when he drank from the water he found it sweet. A cross of light appeared in the well and a church was built there. Isaac was baptized with his family.