THE APPARITION OF THE HOLY CROSS IN JERUSALEM (MAY 7TH)

The Heavenly Cross, Revealed to St. Cyril of Jerusalem and His Congregation 

Edited by Bp. Joseph (Ancient Church of the West) 

In the year of our Lord 351, on the Feast of Pentecost, the faithful dwelling in Jerusalem beheld a wondrous sign in the heavens. A radiant Cross appeared in the sky, spanning from Golgotha to the Mount of Olives—nearly two miles in length—gleaming with unearthly light. For several hours, the holy image remained visible to all, compelling the people to gather in the church to glorify Christ our God, giving thanks for so great a miracle. 

This apparition did not only move the hearts of the people of Jerusalem, but its fame spread throughout the Christian world. Saint Cyril, Bishop of Jerusalem, bearing witness to the event, wrote a letter to Emperor Constantius of Constantinople. At that time, the emperor was ensnared in the Arian heresy, denying the divinity of Christ and teaching that He was a created being, subordinate to the Father. 

In his letter, Saint Cyril declared: “But you, most pious Lord Emperor, have surpassed your father’s piety with an even greater reverence for the divine, and in your time miracles have now appeared no longer from the ground but in the heavens: the trophy of the victory which our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the Only-begotten Son of God, won over death—I refer to the blessed Cross—has been seen flashing like lightning over Jerusalem.” 

Deeply moved by the holy bishop’s testimony and the undeniable sign from heaven, Emperor Constantius renounced Arianism and embraced the orthodox teaching of the Church, confessing that Jesus Christ is indeed God, coequal with the Father. Thus, the miraculous Cross not only confirmed the faith of the people but also reclaimed the heart of an errant emperor, bearing witness to the truth of the Incarnation and the triumph of the Cross over death and heresy. 

Let us, therefore, give glory to God, who manifested His power in the sight of all nations, and who ever preserves His Church through miraculous signs and wonders. 

COLLECT 

O God, who by the glorious manifestation of the Holy Cross didst confirm the faith of Thy people and didst call back the erring to the knowledge of Thy truth: Grant, we beseech Thee, that we who have known the power of Thy salvation may ever rejoice in the triumph of Thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord; who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen. 

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