It is the tradition of the Orthodox Church to put the Cross in the middle of the church for the veneration of the faithful, during the Matins service on the eve of this feast. This commemorates when the True Cross was brought out of the Imperial Treasury and placed on the altar of the Hagia Sophia Cathedral in Constantinople.
We are blessed to have a piece of the True Cross. Having been decorated with fresh flowers, His Grace, Bishop Luke, brought it out in a procession, accompanied by the monastery clergy, at the end of the chanting of the Great Doxology on Saturday evening. The usual hymns for feasts of the Cross were then chanted, and the clergy, followed by the faithful venerated the Cross.
On Suday itself, at the end of the Divine Liturgy, officiated by Vladyka and the clergy, there was a procession to the monastery well. It is the tradition of the Russian Orthodox Church to bless water on this feast in commemoration of the baptism of Kievan Rus’, which according to tradition was on this feast day in 988. After the Lesser Blessing, bottles of monastery honey were handed out to the monastery brethrenl as they kissed the Cross and were blessed with Holy Water.
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