La festa dell’Esaltazione della Santa Croce nella tradizione bizantina

In brief

The Byzantine liturgical tradition celebrates the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 14. This event serves as the second major feast of the Byzantine liturgical year, following the Nativity of the Mother of God on September 8.

The Byzantine liturgy presents the cross of Christ as the site of his victory over sin and death and the means by which the Lord brings believers to his kingdom. Liturgical hymns use various references to foreshadow the redemption achieved through the cross. The liturgy also emphasizes the connection between the tree in paradise and the tree of the cross, describing how Christ redeemed humanity by using the tree of the cross to repair the curse caused by the fall.