ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY Orthodox Calendar
Orthodox Calendar 2023
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Обретение Честного креста и гвоздей св. равноапостольной царицею Еленою Икона Божией Матери Ченстоховская Преподобномученик Конон Иконийский
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March 6
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March 19
Third Sunday of Great Lent. Adoration of the Holy Cross. Tone 7.
Great Lent.
Wine and oil allowed.

Cовершается служба, не отмеченная в Типиконе никаким знакомThe 42 Martyrs of Ammorium in Phrygia, including Constantine, Aetius, Theophilus, Theodore, Melissenus, Callistus, Basoes, and others (ca. 845). St. Job ( Joshua in schema) of Anzersk Island (Solovki) (1720).

Monk-martyrs Conon and his son Conon, of Iconium (270-275). The uncovering of the Precious Cross and the Precious Nails by Empress St. Helen (326). St. Arcadius, monk, of Cyprus (4th c.) and his disciples Julian and Bulius. St. Fridolin, abbot, enlightener of the Upper Rhine (5th c.-6th c.).

Icons of the Most Holy Theotokos: “Chenstokhov” (Poland) and “Blessed Heaven” (Moscow) (14th c.).

Martyrs Cyriacus and 12 companions, who suffered under Diocletian in Augsburg (ca. 304)

Repose of Helen Kontzevitch, Church writer (1989).

Thoughts for Each Day of the Year
According to the Daily Church Readings from the Word of God
By St. Theophan the Recluse

St. Theophan the Recluse

Third Sunday of Lent. [Heb. 4:14–5:6; Mark 8:34–9:1]

Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me (Mark 8:34). It is impossible to follow the Lord as a crossbearer without a cross, and everyone who follows Him, unfailingly goes with a cross. What is this cross? It is all sorts of inconveniences, burdens and sorrows—weighing heavily both internally and externally—along the path of conscientious fulfilment of the commandments of the Lord, in a life according to the spirit of His instructions and demands. Such a cross is so much a part of a Christian that wherever there is a Christian, there is this cross, and where there is no such cross, there is no Christian. Abundant privileges and a life of pleasure do not suit a true Christian. His task is to cleanse and reform himself. He is like a sick person, who needs cauterization, or amputation; how can this be without pain? He wants to tear himself away from the captivity of a strong enemy; but how can this be without struggle and wounds? He must walk counter to all practices surrounding him; but how can he sustain this without inconvenience and constraint? Rejoice as you feel the cross upon yourself, for it is a sign that you are following the Lord on the path of salvation which leads to heaven. Endure a bit. The end is just around the corner, as well as the crowns!

Articles

42 Martyrs of Ammoria in Phrygia

During the seven years of their imprisonment they tried in vain to persuade the captives to renounce Christianity and accept Islam. The captives stubbornly resisted all their seductive offers and bravely held out against terrible threats.

Monkmartyr Conon and his son of Iconium

After he became a widower, he went to a monastery with his son. Because of his devout life the saint was granted help from above. He cast out devils, he healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, and preached Christ among the pagans, converting many.

Uncovering of the Precious Cross and the Precious Nails by the Empress St Helen in Jerusalem

The Holy Empress Helen uncovered the Precious Cross and Nails of the Lord at Jerusalem in 326.

Venerable Arcadius of Cyprus

Saint Arcadius from his youth devoted himself to monastic efforts.

Icon of the Mother of God “Czestochowa”

The wonderworking Czestochowa Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos is to be found in a Roman Catholic monastery at Yasna Gora near the city of Czestochowa, Petrov Province.

Icon of the Mother of God “the Blessed Heaven”

The “Blessed Heaven” Icon of the Mother of God is on the iconostasis of the Moscow Archangel cathedral in the Kremlin.

Homily on the Third Sunday of Great Lent. On Carrying Your Cross

St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov)

The thief in the Gospels who ascended this ladder ascended from out of terrible crimes into most radiant heavenly habitations. From his cross he pronounced words filled with humility of wisdom; in humility of wisdom he entered into the knowledge of God, and through the knowledge of God, he acquired heaven. We receive the due reward of our deeds, he said. Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom

Sunday of the Cross

Archbishop Dmitri (Royster)

The Cross is our badge and emblem as Christians. Remove the Cross from our lives and we have nothing. Without the Cross, both in Christ’s life and in ours, there is no genuine Christianity and consequently, no reason to observe Lent or any other sacred season. This fact may seem self-evident. Yet ours is a time in which words like sin, repentance, sacrifice, the Cross and crucifixion, are misunderstood, being viewed even by some Christians with suspicion, as "negative" terms, at least when applied to our own lives.

The Third Sunday of Great Lent. The Veneration of the Cross

Archpriest Alexander Shargunov

The human soul is more precious than anything in the world. It must be saved at any price, even if this price seems too high in many people’s opinions. We belong to the Church of martyrs and confessors. The holy martyrs are witnesses: giving your life for Christ means gaining it and accomplishing it to the fullest.

Homily on the Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross

Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov)

“The Cross is the guardian of the whole world; the Cross is the beauty of the Church, the Cross is the might of kings; the Cross is the confirmation of the faithful, the Cross is the glory of angels and the wounding of demons.” The Church’s beauty lies in fulfilling the commandments and in being faithful to God.

The Tree Heals the Tree

Fr. Stephen Freeman

In the feast of the Holy Cross, the hymnography at one point makes the statment, “The Tree heals the Tree.” It is one of the marvelous commentaries on the life of grace and its relationship to the human predicament. It refers to the relationship between the Cross of Christ and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

The Third Sunday of Great Lent. The Veneration of the Cross

The Third Sunday of Great Lent: Sunday of the Veneration of the Holy Cross

The Cross reminds us of the Passion of our Lord, and by presenting to us His example, it encourages us to follow Him in struggle and sacrifice, being refreshed, assured, and comforted.

Sermon: Third Sunday of Great Lent (Veneration of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross)

Fr. Milan Medakovic

The Church gives us the cross at this point, the halfway point, of the fast to inspire us. The cross is given to show us the direction in which we are headed; that we are headed to the crucifixion of our Lord and His Holy Resurrection. This should be where we are headed with our own lives; the crucifixion of our self-will that allows us to perform God’s will, which allows our lives to be resurrected to the life that God intended for us.

Third Sunday of Great Lent: The Cross

Today's Gospel summarizes how we are to live, and why. It tells us about real reality. Not what the world tells us is real, but about how a Christian should live, how a Christian should think, how he should be. Our Lord said, " Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."

Third Sunday of Lent: Veneration of the Holy Cross

Blessed Theophylact of Ochrid

See that Christ does not compel a man to die on a cross against his own will. Instead He said, Whosoever desireth. The Lord is saying: "I compel no one. I invite him to something good, not to something bad to which he must be forced. Whoever does not want these things is not worthy of them."

Third Sunday: Veneration of the Cross

Archbishop Andrei (Rymarenko)

Right now, as we approach and kiss the Cross, let us say with the wise thief, "Lord, remember me in Thy kingdom!" We may not have another minute. So let us use this minute which the Lord gives us: "Thy Cross, O Lord, we venerate and Thy Holy Resurrection we glorify."
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