During the middle of the Great Fast, the Holy Church, wanting to strengthen her faithful in their Lenten struggles, brings out the Life-Giving Cross for the veneration of the faithful.  The service itself in many ways repeats the service of the Exaltation of the Cross in September, both of them drawing their inspiration from the service of Holy Friday, the Passion of the Lord.

            We are blessed in our monastery to have small pieces of the True Cross.  The Cross is brought out at the end of the Great Doxology during the All-Night Vigil.  This year, we were blessed with the presence of a group of young pilgrims of our Church Abroad, from several parishes in the Eastern American diocese.  We also were visited by a group of Serbian pilgrims from the Cathedral of St. Savva in New York City.

            The Cross was left out in the middle of the church all week, until the 9^th Hours on Friday.