On August 1, 2025, Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kyiv and All Ukraine shared a powerful spiritual reflection on social media to mark the Feast of the Procession of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord—an ancient Christian commemoration that dates back nearly a thousand years.
“Today we celebrate a feast that became established in the Church nearly ten centuries ago,” the Metropolitan wrote. “The Feast of the Procession of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord was instituted in remembrance of the custom, on August 1, of bringing out a relic of the Holy Cross for public veneration and prayer, especially during a time when the intense heat of the season was often accompanied by the spread of disease.”
He explained that the practice originated in Constantinople, the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, where a large portion of the True Cross, discovered in the 4th century by St. Helen, mother of Emperor Constantine the Great, was preserved among the imperial relics.
“On this day, marking the beginning of the final month of the Church year—August—the Cross containing a fragment of the Life-Giving Wood was first taken to the Hagia Sophia, where a blessing of the waters was performed. Then, in a solemn procession, the relic was carried through the city over two weeks for public veneration and prayer, before being returned to the imperial palace.”
Metropolitan Epifaniy emphasized that today’s veneration of the Cross is not only a commemoration of the past but also a spiritual renewal for the faithful.
“We venerate the Cross of the Lord not only to remember an ancient tradition, but to renew within ourselves the awareness of its meaning. The Cross reminds us of the sacrificial death of the Savior for all of us, of the great price at which we were redeemed from slavery, and of the path each of us must walk to attain salvation.”
Calling the Cross a symbol of God’s love, he continued: “The Cross is a testimony to God’s love. It reminds us that victory is achieved through sacrifice and humility, that resurrection follows death, and that each of us bears our own cross in life. And as the Savior commanded, we must take up our cross and follow Him.”
He concluded with a prayerful call to action: “So as we honor the Cross today in a special way, let us ask the Lord to give us the strength to carry our own crosses, and, when possible, to help ease the burdens of our neighbors. Let us ask that the sign of the Cross strengthen our spirit in the struggle against both visible and invisible enemies, and that it lead us to true victory. With God, we shall overcome!”
