Inventio crucis epitome

Of Alexander the Monk, Historiographer, a Historical Encomium on the Discovery of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross. At that time, the bishop of Aelia was Macarius, the namesake, who had succeeded Hermonas. The Great Constantine, having become sole ruler, transferred all his care to divine matters. He rebuilt the churches, since he was generously wealthy from the public treasury, both in money and expenditures, and in all kinds of treasures. And he first wrote a law that the temples of the idols be given over to those dedicated to Christ, and that those still idolatrous be punished with capital penalties. He wrote a second law, that only orthodox Christians serve in the army, and that they rule over the nations and camps. He wrote a third law, that the two Paschal weeks be inactive, one before and one after. And then there was deep peace and joy throughout the whole world, with all the nations daily running to the faith, being baptized, and with their own hands smashing their ancestral gods. But these things were not bearable to the avenging demon, but again he was devising within himself how he might cut off such great joy of men. And to persuade men to deify creation he was no longer able; for his deception had been detected. But he attempted to persuade the unsteady to set the Creator alongside the creatures. And again there was no small disturbance in the Churches of God, a certain Arius of Alexandria going around up and down, and disturbing the world.

With him were brought together a few bishops in number, of whom the first were Eusebius of Nicomedia and Eusebius Pamphili, and others with them. Observing the great contention, the Great Constantine was distressed in his soul; and first he attempted through hortatory letters to both parties to quench the strife. But when he saw the evil becoming incurable, he ordered an ecumenical council to be held in the city of Nicaea, and three hundred and eighteen bishops assembled. Most of them were confessors, bearing the stigmata of Jesus on their bodies. With them was also the most renowned Constantine, and when the matter was set in motion, they issued a written statement of faith, the one now proclaimed throughout the entire Church of the orthodox. Those around Arius and Eusebius of Nicomedia who persisted in their false doctrine they proclaimed, and they were exiled, and others were ordained in their place. The emperor, having honored the bishops and greeted them, dismissed them in peace to their own parishes, rejoicing at the harmony of the churches. He also instructed Macarius, the bishop of Aelia, who was present at the council and was championing the apostolic doctrines, to seek out the life-giving cross, and the God-receiving tomb, and all the holy places; and he likewise urged the other bishops to request, if they saw fit, anything for the completion of their own churches.

It was the nineteenth year of his reign when the council at Nicaea took place. After this, the emperor sent his mother Helena, the praiseworthy and God-loving, to Jerusalem, with letters and an abundance of money, to the namesake Macarius, bishop of Aelia, for the search of the life-giving wood of the glorious cross and the building of the holy places; the empress herself having requested this, claiming to have seen a certain divine vision commanding her to go to Jerusalem and to bring to light the holy places, which had been covered over by the winds and had become invisible for so many years. When the bishop learned that the empress had arrived, he gathered the bishops of the province and met her with due honor. Immediately he urged the bishops to undertake the search for the longed-for wood. While all were at a loss at the site, and each was relating different suspicions, the bishop of the city urged all to keep quiet and to offer more earnest prayer to God for this matter. When this was done, the place was immediately shown from God to the bishop, where the temple and the statue of the unclean demon were situated.

Then the queen, employing her royal authority, gathered a great multitude of craftsmen and laborers, and commanded that the abominable building be razed from its foundations and the rubble cast far away. When this was done, the divine tomb was revealed, and the place of the Skull, and not far off three crosses lying separately; and upon careful search they also found the nails. From that point, perplexity and distress seized the queen, as she sought to determine which was the Lord’s cross. But the bishop, through faith, resolved the distinction. For he brought each of the crosses to a woman who was visibly ill, despaired of by all, and breathing her last; and when the shadow of the saving cross alone touched the sick woman, she, who was breathless and motionless, immediately sprang up by divine power, crying out with a loud voice and glorifying God. And Queen Helena, crying out with a loud voice and glorifying God, with great joy and fear took up the life-giving cross; she sent a portion of it, together with the nails, to her son. With the remainder, having made a silver reliquary, she entrusted it to the bishop of the city for a memorial to all generations, and decreed that a church be built at the life-giving tomb and at holy Golgotha, and at Bethlehem in the cave where our Lord Jesus Christ underwent his fleshly birth, and on the Mount of Olives, where the Lord, having blessed the disciples, was taken up.

And after doing many other things in Jerusalem, she returned to her son. He received her with joy, and having placed the portion of the precious cross in a golden casket, he entrusted it to the bishop for safekeeping, ordering that the discovery of the precious cross be celebrated with annual commemorations. As for the nails, he had some forged into his own helmet, and mixed others with the bridle of his horse, so that the saying of the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled: "On that day, what is upon the bridle of the horse shall be holy to the Lord Almighty." The emperor wrote to Bishop Macarius, urging him to hasten the construction, and sent a superintendent of the work with an abundance of money, instructing him that the holy places be built with such magnificence that no such beauty might exist in all the earth. He also wrote to the governors of the province to contribute in every way to the work from the public treasury, in both money and expenses and materials. The emperor was joyfully celebrating the festival of his twentieth year, giving thanks to God for all the good things that had been done in the years of his reign. The years from the coming of Christ to the discovery of the cross are counted as three hundred fifty-two years. From Adam to the coming of Christ, five thousand five hundred years. According to others, five thousand four hundred seventy-five. In Aelia, the namesake Macarius was succeeded by Maximonas. This man was a gentle and very distinguished man. For in the persecution he endured many tortures for God, and having lost his right eye, he was released on account of his confession of the faith.

At that time the blessed Helena the queen came to the end of her life, being eighty years old, having given many instructions to her son concerning piety toward Christ. Thus far let the history of the discovery of the life-giving cross extend. And let no one deceive himself by babbling unprofitable things and introducing mythologies through strange names into the account. For no other bishop of Jerusalem has ever existed besides those previously recorded, nor any other emperor of the Romans, nor was the precious cross found in any other way. For from the emperor Augustus, under whom our Lord Jesus Christ was born in the flesh, to the pious emperor Constantine, there have been thirty-five emperors. Likewise, from James the apostle and first of the bishops to that same reign, there have been thirty-five bishops of Jerusalem. The venerable day of the consecration of the holy places and of the exaltation of the venerable cross, the Fathers established by imperial decree to be observed each year on the fourteenth of the month of September, which is the eighteenth before the Kalends of October, to the glory of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Since by the grace of God we have arrived in our discourse at the notable day of our feast, which is the revelation of the life-giving cross, come, as far as it is possible, after greeting it briefly, let us conclude this discourse. Hail, then, precious cross; hail, because on you our Lord Jesus Christ was raised up in the divine economy, in whom are all the treasures of joy and grace. Hail, precious cross.

Through you, eternal joy is awarded in heaven and on earth. Hail, precious cross, because from above and from the beginning the Creator has painted your image in every creation. Hail, glorious cross, because all the powers in heaven send up most awe-inspiring hymns to the Master for the salvation that comes through you. Hail, glorious cross; through you, churches of the orthodox have been founded in cities, on islands, and among every nation. Hail, glorious cross; through you, every mouth of the faithful has been opened for theology. Hail, blessed cross; through you, heavenly angels together with men on earth hymn Christ. Hail, blessed cross; through you, earthly men likewise stand before God in the heavens, glorifying the Creator with inexpressible joy. Hail, blessed cross; through you, Adam, freed from the curse, leaping and rejoicing, has entered paradise, having recovered his ancient dignity. Hail, holy cross; through you, every diabolical power has been cast down, and every demonic activity has been dissolved. Hail, holy cross; through you, the thrice-holy and consubstantial Trinity is known, believed, and glorified in every place. Hail, holy cross; through you, the inalienable goods have been granted to men. And what shall we say and what shall we omit? How shall we hymn the power of the Lord’s cross? O name of the cross, in which the greatness of the mysteries of God is concealed, venerable to angels and reverend to men! For what name is more lovely than that of the cross, or sweeter to Christians? And what is more effective than this for wonder-working?

Cross, most effective sign of divine power. Cross, joy of angels and grief of demons. Cross, foundation of the Church. Cross, ever-shining and all-shining light of the whole world. Cross, unshakable, unbreakable, and invincible wall of the entire inhabited world. Cross, sacred and inviolable glory of priests. Cross, might and power of kings, and victorious weapon against enemies. Cross, all-powerful and complete armor of armies, and terror to adversaries. Cross, inviolable and unplundered guardian of cities. Cross, perpetual and unceasing delight of peoples. Cross, perpetual and unceasing utter destruction of devils. Cross, eternal and extraordinary downfall of demons. Cross, firm, unashamed, and undiminished hope of Christians. Cross, most seemly healing of the sick in both soul and body. Cross, unfailing health of the healthy. Cross, most calm harbor for those storm-tossed. Cross, peace without sedition for those at war. Cross, boast of boasts for the orthodox, and unceasing condemnation of heretics. Cross, dissolution of idolatry and restoration of piety. Cross, teacher of virginity and guardian of temperance. Cross, security of the righteous and repentance of sinners. Cross, adornment of monks and good order of those living reverently. Cross, guardian of infants, chastisement of the young, and staff of support for the elderly. Cross, inexhaustible treasure of the poor, and teacher of self-sufficiency for the rich. Cross, road for the erring, and unerring guide for the lost.

Cross, rest in daily labors, and help in nightly fears. Cross, good order of nations, and deepest calm of the whole world. And what shall we say, or what shall we omit, or how shall we hymn you, all-glorious Cross? Because you alone from all creation the King of glory has set forth as an invincible weapon against the devil, and sin, and death. Therefore blessed are we all who have been deemed worthy to see the holy day of your revelation. You are the proclamation of the prophets; for concerning you they daily exultantly sing, saying to God: "You have given to those who fear you a sign to flee from the face of the bow." You are the boast of the apostles. For they ceaselessly cry out in the holy Church through one of their sacred heralds: "But may it not be for me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." You are also the crown of the martyrs; since they too, having taken up the cross, followed the Lord. You are the boast and the exultation of those dwelling in mountains and caves and the hollows of the earth for the name of the Lord; because they too have crucified the flesh together with its passions and desires. You are the refreshment and rest of those near and far. Oh, the ineffable grace of the Lord's cross! Oh, the ineffable and incomprehensible mysteries in it! And that I too may say something ecstatic with the sacred trumpet: "Oh, depth of wealth and wisdom and knowledge of God, how unsearchable are his judgments!" For having been put to death by the tree of life, we were brought to life by the tree of condemnation.

Because of the immeasurable grace of the saving Master, it is fitting for us to establish this all-festal celebration “in the decorations that reach to the horns of the altar.” “Decorations” are, as those skilled in these matters say, things that have become soiled through neglect or age, and then through care and diligence are refashioned into something more precious, for the joy and delight of those who will feast at weddings or in some other bright festivity. Let us therefore dispose ourselves as we have been instructed, and, having put off the squalor that has befallen our conscience through negligence, let us celebrate this bright and all-holy day of the memory of the life-giving cross with alms and faith, as Holy Scripture says, taking up a confidence adorned with reverence, and raising upon our shoulders the victorious weapon of the life-giving cross, let us cry out to God in the customary manner the angelic hymn given to us from heaven for the cessation of all wrath: “Holy God, holy mighty, holy immortal, have mercy on us;” holy Trinity, incomprehensible, unlimited, ineffable, consubstantial, and of the same throne, and of the same time, and of the same glory, have mercy on us, and be propitiated toward our sins for the sake of your holy name, and grant us to find mercy and compassion on the day of your just retribution. For you are our God, and glory, majesty, power, and authority are fitting for you, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, before all time, and now and for all the ages of ages. Amen.