Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Postscript on the Holy Cross of Christ

An even bigger chunk of the Holy Cross has come to Thessaloniki from Mt. Athos. I don’t know if we’ll get a chance to venerate it. We will try. Now I understand why nobody was excited when I talked about the piece that came to our church recently. As Mena said, “Pieces of the Cross are everywhere.”

2 comments:

Anam Cara said...

I have heard that there are enough pieces of the true cross to build a modest house. That used to bother me, but it doesn't anymore. Read the blog entry below from the blog Christ is in our Midst.

September 14, 2010 | Categories: Eastern Orthodox, icon, music | 1 Comment »
undoubting faith…

Once there were two old men, and they wanted to go to Jerusalem. One became sick on the road and went back. The other went further on, but the ship broke into pieces and he lost everything, and so he too had to return. But he remembered that his companion had strongly entreated him to bring him a piece of wood from the Holy Cross. Then, out of love for the sick man, he tore a piece of wood from the ship and returned home with it. He went to the house of the sick man, and he didn’t tell him what had happened to him or that he hadn’t made it to Jerusalem. And that one asked him, “Did you bring me a piece of wood from the Holy Cross?” “Yes.” And he gave him the piece of wood from the ship. And the sick man venerated and kissed it with so much faith that he was made well. "And many miracles were performed with that little piece of wood from the ship on all who thought it was wood from the Holy Cross. Look at what faith does. He who has undoubting faith has been saved, is being saved, and will be saved!

credit where due: The Sunday Bulletin of Holy Theophany Orthodox Church"

James the Thickheaded said...

Chaucer had much the same impression: That you could build a rather large house from all the pieces of the True Cross. I am not certain whether people BELIEVE that these pieces are all part of the True Cross... you would be a better judge. But I find it wonderful that in this secular and supposedly rational day (Ha!) and age it is even thought of, let alone possible, and believed by one and more. And this may be the greater miracle IMHO.