In adorationem venerandae crucis

Let us sing a new song, O peoples, to the righteousness of the King, the Lord, and let us confess, or rather let us hymn and glorify and praise and adore and magnify the presence of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ, and in hymns let us adore and extol the venerable and thrice-blessed wood of the Master. Come, O beloved, dancing in praise and honoring with faith, let us chant with the prophet David and say: The light of your face has been marked upon us, O Lord. What light then, if not the cross of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ, through which the world was saved, and we who believed were freed from the captivity of Beliar, and the scroll of our lawlessness was torn up? The face of the Father is Christ: He who has seen me, he says, has seen the Father. And the light of the face, that is, of the Lord, is the cross; for in it, as a lamp in a lampstand, it illuminated the inhabited world, and set the trembling earth firm, and rent the rocks, and raised the dead, and having put the sun to flight, clothed the sky in sackcloth instead of darkness, wishing to show the ungrateful and senseless and God-denying Jews that the one crucified in the flesh was Master and Creator.

For this reason, beloved, I seek and desire to bring you to the cross and to praise it worthily; and I fear, being unworthy. For my flesh trembles, my tongue is numb, my lips are fixed, and my reason within protests that I should be silent. How then shall I, the lowly, be able to relate worthily even concerning the power of the precious and life-giving cross? Let me speak, by the grace of God, in part, what I comprehend; for not even angels are able to praise its power worthily. For this visible sign of the cross angels worship, not because of the form of the wood, but because of Christ, who was willingly crucified upon it in the flesh. Adam was condemned through the tree of eating, and the new Adam, Christ our God, strengthened us through the tree of the cross. And the word of the prophet was fulfilled, saying: You gave to those who fear you a sign to flee from the face of the bow. The cross is a sign on the forehead and hand of the faithful, the bow is error, the archer the devil, the arrows shameful thoughts, the wounds the sins. Come, faithful, let us enjoy the veneration of the precious and immaculate cross. For amazement seized every living creature, seeing Christ nailed to the gibbet, the maker and ruler of all, his sanctified side pierced by a spear, water and blood flowing from an ever-flowing spring, wearing the plaited crown of thorns, drinking vinegar and gall mixed, receiving as his lot the hands of murderers, servants of darkness and friends of gloom, so that each might receive his due portion. The ranks of bodiless angels shuddered.

The sky became gloomy and downcast, the light and brightness of the stars were extinguished; the greatest giant, the sun, sent forth its rays, and darkness held the ether; day also passed into deep evening, and the bright adornment of the temple was shattered again; the earth was shaken with tremors, and from the tombs the dead quickly came forth, freed from their bonds. A thief dwells in paradise in faith and word, but Judas, struck down, was destroyed by a noose; Peter, afraid, swore that he did not know the Master, who had saved him from error, until a rooster exposed him by crowing; and weeping bitterly, he washed away his sin. Beholding these things, the infernal dragon lamented and wailed, saying: "O my ministers and powers, rulers of darkness, who is it that has driven a nail into my heart? He has pierced me with a wooden spear, and I am torn apart; my bowels ache, my heart pains me, my senses are destroyed, my spirit rages. Would that Judas had never been counted among the disciples, would that the wood of the crucifixion had never been set against me. For he whom I thought to hold in my hands, I am now held by him as a captive, and I am compelled to disgorge all those whom I have held since the first-created man. Come, beloved, let us take shelter beneath the wings of the precious and life-giving cross. For the cross, terminating at its four extremities, signifies that the crucified one is God, who pervades all things and encompasses all limits. And Christ and God was raised upon it, so that he might destroy the demons lurking in the air and make our heavenly journey easy to traverse; as our Savior himself said: 'When I am raised up, I will draw all to myself.'

And why should I say much to you? Listen to the prophet saying: "The Lord will send forth a rod of power to you from Zion." And since Christ is a rod, as Isaiah also said, "A rod will come forth from the root of Jesse." Holding this, Moses divided the Red Sea, split the water, and sewed it together; he split it so that the people of God might pass through; he sewed it together so that the Egyptian people might be clothed with the sea of the depths. And another of the prophets says: "Blessed be the wood through which salvation came in the midst of the earth." Observe the stars of heaven, and each day you will see among them the sign of the cross formed from stars. For this reason, before I raise the life-giving cross, having offered a few praises, I will greet it, and having raised it, I will venerate it. Hail, cross, beginning of salvation and fortress of the kingdom; hail, cross, protector of apostles and proclamation of prophets; hail, cross, boast of martyrs and proclamation of saints; hail, cross, calm of those storm-tossed and rescue of those taken captive; hail, cross, delight of the righteous and holy; hail, cross, adornment of priests and dignity of presbyters; hail, cross, glory of deacons and radiance of readers; hail, cross, boast of monastics and consolation of those in mourning; hail, cross, guardian of churches and good order of cities; hail, cross, father of orphans and protector of widows; hail, cross, salvation of those at war and guide of those who wander; hail, cross, champion of the wronged and adversary of wrongdoers; hail, cross, solace of those in pain and comfort of those in danger.

Hail, Cross, corrector of base pursuits and helper of better endeavors; hail, Cross, invincible weapon of those under attack and raising of the fallen; hail, Cross, strength of the weak and staff of the powerless; hail, Cross, crown of those who preserve virginity and temperance of those in widowhood; hail, Cross, garment of the newly baptized and guardian of infants; hail, Cross, freedom of slaves and burial shroud of the dying; hail, Cross, sanctification of souls and nail driven into the heart of demons; hail, Cross, fellow traveler of wayfarers and fair-weather harbor of those who sail; hail, Cross, security of the faithful and comfort of those who keep vigil; hail, Cross, weapon for the day and amulet for the night; hail, Cross, staff of the sick and rod of shepherds; hail, Cross, guidance of those who turn back and perfection of those who advance; hail, Cross, salvation of souls and averting of all evils from bodies; hail, Cross, procurer of all good things and destruction of sins; hail, Cross, plant of resurrection and tree of eternal life; hail, Cross, foundation of faith and perfection of priesthood; hail, Cross, redemption from lawlessness and foundation and support of Churches; hail, Cross, cleansing of diseases and of those who travel

rest. Hail, Cross, succor of those in need and alliance of combatants; hail, Cross, recovery of the distressed and support of those proceeding aright; hail, Cross, cause of mercy and punishment of heartlessness; hail, Cross, mighty help of all and security of steadfast hope. Today the Cross is venerated, and the Resurrection of Christ is renewed; today the Cross is venerated, and the city of God, the heavenly Jerusalem, rejoices together with the earthly; today the Cross is venerated, and Zion, the mother of all Churches, is proclaimed; today the Cross is venerated, and the ends of the earth gather to venerate it; today the Cross is venerated, and victory over the barbarians has been granted to the Emperor of the Romans; today the Cross is venerated, the salvation of the faithful and the support of the pious; today the Cross is venerated, and the four-cornered world exults; today the Cross is venerated, and all tribes, peoples, and tongues celebrate; today the Cross is venerated, and creation is renewed; today the Cross is venerated, and Adam is renewed; today the Cross is venerated, and Eve, mother of the living, is shown forth as a helper, no longer a conspirator as before, plucking the tree of life instead of the tree of knowledge, performing obedience instead of disobedience, receiving blessing instead of the curse, obtaining, instead of "In pains you shall bear children," a multitude of children in joy, devising incorruption instead of corruption.

But who is this mother of the living, and what tree bears the fruit of life, if not the Church of God? And the tree is the cross of the Lord, the good bridegroom of the Church. This is now venerated, and the ruler of wickedness is terrified, and demons are exposed, and the spiritual hosts of evil are put to flight, and Hades is despoiled, and his phalanx takes flight, and Beliar is trampled underfoot, and the counselor of sin no longer exhorts the mother of us all; but he creeps upon the breast, watching the heel, while his head is trampled. And he eats the earth condemned to bring forth thorns and tribulation; but he sees the tree of life, formerly trampled by him, now luxuriating, while he himself remains under the former curse; and he sees that he no longer has power even over the heel, but all his heads are crushed by the cross; he beholds the one formerly condemned standing at the right as a queen, and the one who once covered her nakedness with a fig leaf now clothed in gold-woven raiment, adorned, and he laments his own disarray. He sees her supported by the royal scepter and raised up to heaven itself, and he bewails his own fall; he sees her summoning her children with a lofty proclamation to the veneration of the precious cross, and he shudders at their obedience, marvels at their zeal, and is astounded at the multitude; he sees the whole creation celebrating, and himself clothed in a double-fold of shame; and the saying that declares, "Stretch forth, and prosper, and reign," is fulfilled.

Bend the bow of the cross, sting the devil, rule over creation, and prosper the human being. And again, Exalt the Lord your God, and worship the footstool of his feet. For the walls of sin and the cities of Hades have been razed by the cross of Christ. But come, let us worship the cross. Come, let us gather fruit and harvest the wood of the cross, which stands by the outlets of the waters from the side, and which gave its fruit in its season. For the cross of Christ is a tree of immortality, a plant of incorruption, a root of righteousness, a shoot of temperance, a flower of virginity, a rose of widowhood. The cross is a weapon of courage and a support of continence; the cross is a foundation of faith and a base of piety; the cross is an illumination of the knowledge of God and a dissolution of judgment; the cross is a recall from exile and a ransom of captives; the cross is a return of the wandering and a raising of the fallen; the cross is a power of the saved and a healing of the sick; the cross is an advancement of the righteous and a boldness of the martyrs; the cross is a proclamation of the apostles and a rejoicing of the prophets; the cross is a proclamation of teachers and a praise of monks; the cross is a prize of peace and a summoner of concord; the cross is a bond of heavenly and earthly things and a despoiler of the underworld; the cross is a sanctification of creation and a provider of heavenly goods; the cross is a festival of those celebrating and a pledge of adoption, and an heir of the kingdom of heaven. And what is more marvelous, it is the greatest symbol of the love of God and Father for us and an indication of the Son’s more divine obedience unto death and of the wisdom of the Spirit.

For thus did God love the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish, but have eternal life. And the Son, having become obedient unto death, death by the cross, has given us the trophy of victory over death, so that together with him, through the wisdom of the Spirit having first overthrown principalities and powers, we may subdue the enemy, bind the strong one, plunder his vessels, and thereafter fearlessly cultivate the paradise of God, dig up the treasure of the field, and traffic in the precious pearl, which is destined to adorn the seal of the cross and the day of creation. For just as when Christ was then hanging, the tombs were shattered, Hades was opened, the rocks were rent, the bars were broken, the elements were shaken, the dead arose, and the souls leaped forth; so also today, with the cross set before us, the devil is put to flight, demons take to flight. For on the cross he raised up the flesh, so that the flesh might be seen raised up, and death fallen. Today the cross is venerated, and the seal of the prophetic voices is fulfilled. For through the cross were loosed the bonds which the serpent forged in paradise, which Adam tempered, and which Eve sharpened; through the cross the thief broke into paradise. For what house does not have the cross as its foundation? What ship is not steered by the cross? What city does not have the cross as its fortress? What king does not lean upon the staff of the cross?

What Church is there that does not have the cross as its foundation, and is not fortified by it? What widow is there who does not have the cross as her staff? What orphan is there who does not have the cross as his helper? The cross illumines by night, sheds light upon the day, brightens souls, puts an end to storms of misfortunes, strengthens the bond of marriage, and nurtures orphans. This is the culmination of the economy, this is the achievement of the cross, this is the trophy of the passion, this is the crown of the feasts. This is the treasure of the Old Testament, this is the precious pearl of the Gospels, this is the highly honored crown of the kingdom, surpassing every word and narrative. For then, it is said, the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. Then, when? When the powers of the heavens are shaken, when the only-begotten Son of the Father comes with his angels to judge the living and the dead. For then, those who are distinguished by the royal sign, and who have acquired for themselves the precious pearl, and have preserved the beauty according to the image and likeness, will be snatched up in clouds to heaven. For the Lord and God sends his angels with a great trumpet voice, and they will gather the elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. These things the evangelist Matthew says concerning the future second coming of the Son of God, and the cross that precedes it. But what is now being celebrated is a clear type of what is to come. For behold, a cross is set up on the earth, and all the nations and races of men, and every age, by the sign of the cross

is sealed. Rulers and subjects, masters and slaves, the obscure and the renowned, the wise and the unlearned, the low-born and the noble. Come, let us venerate the holy shoot, the genuine-teaching and justly-discovered cross; come, let us bless the life-giving, peace-bringing, and holy cross; come, let us venerate the cross that is divinely judged without storm, that adorns the world, and is called the Lord's; come, let us glorify the cross witnessed by angels, alone worthy of worship, sent from heaven, and holy; come, let us magnify the cross that is all-holy, root-wise, wisely ordered, and perfectly hymned; come, let us give thanks to the cross that is most highly spoken, fearfully gracious, beneficial to the soul, and beautifully adorned; come, let us venerate with fear and longing and faith, and let us be sanctified by the touch of the precious and life-giving cross. But those who wish to approach the cross of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ with understanding and sobriety, and to receive remission of sins, before all else love truth and drive out impiety, and do not become desirers of others' possessions. Those who wish to approach the cross, cast away evil designs from yourselves, proceed divinely in oaths, do not throw yourselves into the pit of sin, and thrust perjury and blasphemy far from yourselves.

Those who wish to approach the cross, do not clothe yourselves in the darkness of sin, but genuinely keep the commandments of God. Those who wish to approach the cross, cast deceit from your hearts, and drive out impiety; do not desire to lend at interest or at usury; honor, glorify, love, and yearn for your parents with all your soul. Those who wish to approach the cross, uproot evil designs from yourselves, arm yourselves with good thoughts, prepare yourselves for every good work. Those who wish to approach the cross, cast envy from your hearts; do not desire to harm your neighbor; do not make fraudulent weights and measures; do not consort with a man’s yoke, that is, with another’s wife; and, loving one another, yearn for each other; do not desire to be sweetened in evil; drive away evil habit. Those who wish to approach the cross, abandon vain spectacles, quench wrath and anger, do not desire to oppress anyone, do not commit murder through intrigue or false discourse. Those who wish to approach the cross, do not abide in falsehood, and do not turn to shameful and soul-damaging desires, but keep the commandments of God with all your soul. Those who wish to approach the cross, practice judgment and justice, desire what is good and noble, and do not turn to fights and insults. Those who wish to approach the cross, let each speak words of truth to his neighbor, abominate all lewdness, and drive out licentiousness.

Those who wish to approach the cross, do not commit the unlawful act, the harmful and soul-destroying sin of adultery; for adultery is a denuder of both soul and body. Do not commit adultery, then, lest you bastardize yourself, and destroy your body, and disgrace yourself, and punish your soul, and shame your family, and anger God. Nor again commit fornication; for fornication has been the cause of the destruction of many, being a harmful and soul-exposing sin. Those who wish to touch the cross and reap the benefit from it, let us not throw ourselves into the dark pit of fornication, nor into the murky well of adultery; for the sword-bearing portals of lawless fornication and the fiery darts of adultery beget the sleepless worm and the unquenchable fire of wrath that burns the spirit, and fornication and adultery produce heart-melting and nerve-destroying affliction. Those therefore who approach the cross contemptuously and fearlessly,

Thunder-crashed, bellowing-roaring, lightning-terrifying, missile-abyss-quake-slaying they shall become. Those who wish to approach the cross, hate slander, abhor bearing grudges, do not cease to pity the poor, do not hesitate to visit the sick, do not desire love of money, do not cease visiting those in prison. Gathering in the churches, let us approach the cross with fear and trembling and joy, and let us not cease honoring the priests. Let us consider, O beloved, the power of the cross. For when the cross was set up, and Christ was stretched upon it, and he inclined his immaculate head upon it, and his side was pierced by the spear, and the whole world beneath heaven was fluttering with fear and preparing for vengeance on behalf of the one hanging in flesh on the cross, but was prevented by the one crucified in flesh himself, the devil, seeing the elements in turmoil, the weapon of the lawless and their weight, the sound of their thunders and their roars, the gleam of their lightnings and their course, the flight of their missiles and their lightness, the boldness of the earthquake and its force, the multitude of angels and their ranks, the brightness of fire and its flame, the squall of wrath and its fury, the armies of the highest and their encampments, the powers of holy beasts and their strength, the submission of clouds and their dispatch—seeing these things, the devil, hastening, went down to Hades and ordered the gates and bars to be secured.

But when he looked intently, he saw the substances of lightning-bearing torches descending toward him, and the deep-thundering sound of thunder crashed around him, darkness encircled him, a trembling of the elements shook him, a rank of light-armed troops advanced, the earth quaked, the rocks were shattered, bars were crushed, elements were shaken, death was convulsed, torches of spiritual fire preceded him; the Tartarean abyss was made to tremble, the sea was stirred up, the subterranean depths of the abyss were upheaved, the voices of the horn were strengthened. The sun was darkened, and one could see the sky and the visible firmament, the enclosure of the world, the roof of creation, the tiling of the universal house, the imperishable ceiling, the water-bound vault, the crystalline bowl, the smooth under-painting, the gold-lettered book, the silver-purchased with stars, the blue-dyed chamber, the torch-bearing bridal chamber, in which the sun and moon, like bridegroom and bride, are seated. And the sky, instead of radiance, was clothed in darkness; rivers and springs and lakes hastened to draw back their waters, but by the nod of the crucified Christ they were commanded to send forth their streams; and the dark phalanx and array of demons was put to flight. And every order of angels and archangels and of the liturgical powers was shaken with fear and trembling, beholding the timeless, imperishable, and immortal God, who had not left the heavens, descending beneath the earth to Adam.

And Hades was in anguish, and Beliar, stunned with fear, lay dead, and Death, smoked and thunderstruck by the lightning of divinity, vomited forth all the righteous whom it held. As these things were happening, behold, a voice issued from the mouth of the holy, undefiled, immortal, and invisible one, life-giving and not death-bearing, but producing both joy and terror: joy for the righteous, terror for the rulers of darkness. "To you who are in bonds, I say, come forth, and to those in darkness, be uncovered." Hearing this, the souls of the righteous rejoiced, and the chorus of prophets, exulting, sang: "Our God will come manifestly, our God, and he will not be silent. Fire will go before him, and a fierce storm around him." And the souls of the saints, freed from their bonds, went out together with Adam; some of the prophets struck the devil, the righteous slapped him, and the saints spat on him and mocked him. And the phalanx of demons, placing their heads on their knees, were filled with the songs of harps, lyres, and drums in the hands of the prophets.

sing the victory-bringing one. Who then would not marvel at the power of the precious and life-giving cross? O name of the cross, the hidden mystery; O ineffable grace, and unfathomable power. But it is time now to approach the awesome table and to draw near to the bloodless sacrifice. For this reason I too, with the appropriate sobriety and vigilance, having added a few more small praises to the life-giving cross, will bring the discourse to an end. Hail, most awesome and life-giving cross, sweet radiance and ever-shining sun; hail, precious and venerable cross, turning back the souls of the enchanted, and destroying the souls of the lawless; hail, admirable cross, illuminating the paths of the righteous, and burning the ways of the impious; hail, thrice-blessed cross, provider of goods, and defender of those who hope in you; hail, all-blessed cross, wall and salvation of those who flee to you; hail, all-radiant cross, deliverer of those in danger, and physician of the weak; hail, most great cross, helper of the suffering, and avenger of the oppressed; hail, all-illuminating cross, supporter of the unsettled, guide of the wandering, helper of the distressed; hail, victory-making cross, giver to those in need, and hearer of those who cry out; hail, invincible cross, unfailing protector, binder and ruler of the world; hail, life-towering cross, benefactor of the inhabited world, rewarder of those who do good; hail, exalting cross, and victory-maker of your servants; hail, life-bearing cross, benefactor of friends, winnower of Jews, punisher of the impious, rewarder of the righteous.

Hail, O wondrous cross, adornment of priests, boast of monks, sought after by the persecuted, open door for the humbled. Hail, O life-giving cross, raiser of the poor, raising of the fallen, forbearance of sinners, receiver of the penitent. Hail, O all-holy cross, propitiation of those who confess, merciful one to those who return, chooser of your own saints, destroyer of your enemies, kinsman of Christians, builder of the Churches, and worshipped by all creation. This precious and venerable wood, honored by all, is worshipped: Greeks and barbarians, Macedonians and Thessalians, Paeonians and Illyrians, Athenians and Argives and Laconians, Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judaea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Egypt and the parts of Libya around Cyrene, Cretans and Arabs, Indians and Ethiopians and Homerites, and all the rest of the nations, as many as the sun beholds, leaving behind their own deception, signing themselves with the cross, worship, fleeing the intricate snares of the devil. For through the cross Christ burst open the insatiable belly of Beliar, and dissolved his flesh-devouring teeth, shattering with his steadfast cross he paralyzed his sinews, and crushed his bones; he rent his garment, and plucked out his hair, casting upon him lamentation and dark and endless mourning.

extinguished his shameless eyes, disgraced his dishonorable face, pierced him with sharp javelins, stabbed him with a three-edged sword, scattered his hopes, searched out his hidden nests, and winnowed his storehouses to every wind. He razed the merciless children and offspring of his demons, quenched with inextinguishable fire his handmade idols, cast his bed into the abyss, unhinged his dark chambers with wind, leveled his cities, demolished the walls of lawlessness, threw open the gates of Hades, shattered the adamantine bolts, and having released all who trusted in him, and taking them with him to the heavens to the Father, he ran up like a giant, as the prophet says: “He will exult, as a giant, to run the road.” By this sign enemies are put to flight, by this sign the walls of adversaries fall, demons are destroyed, all things are subjected to the wood of the cross through the power of the one crucified upon it.

And not only now does the sign of the cross conquer the adversaries, but even before this it conquered and prevailed. And know the power of the sign. The rod of Moses bore the sign of the cross; the rod was the cross. Behold for me the sign of the cross, how many wonders and signs it wrought, evils for the adversaries, goods for the faithful. And Moses, through the rod, transformed the rivers of the Egyptians into blood, and brought locusts, and the locust larva, and hail, and palpable darkness, and a whirlwind, and a heap of firstborn through that same rod; for wherever the rod inclined, there a trophy stood. Through the rod God recalled the race of the Hebrews from bitter slavery, and the sign of the cross was what saved them. You have learned, O beloved, the strength and power of the sign of the cross; worship the truth of Christ, having heard the revelation of the prefiguration; revere the manifestation of the truth. Great, then, is the account of the cross, and inexpressible its power. Those who worship the cross with longing and faith have known the strength in it, and they put the devil to flight. For the cross, all-powerful, benefiting all, is worshipped by all. For the Lord, the true God and savior of our souls, was nailed upon it, and saved the world; to him all honor, glory, and thanksgiving are due and owed from us, together with the Father without beginning, along with the all-holy and life-giving Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.