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To help the parishioner. Week of the Worship of the Cross

The veneration week of Lent 2019 falls in its middle. Each week of Lent has a special name, reminiscent of one or another event associated with the holy great martyrs, metropolitans, miracle workers, Jesus Christ himself, the Mother of God and the Holy Trinity.

The names convey special differences in church services, in who should offer prayer and worship. This is also connected with special spiritual instructions, perceiving which Christians must unite in a single impulse, supporting each other in deed and word, let it be reflected only in prayer.

The Third Week of Great Lent is dedicated to the veneration of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross. The editors of the site found out when there will be a week of veneration of the cross, in which week of Lent in 2019. What traditions exist, traditions and rituals, as well as the history of this wonderful holiday. And let's share the most the best recipes Lenten Cross cookies, which are traditionally baked at home during the week of the Cross.

What is the Week of the Cross and when does it occur?

The name “cross veneration” comes from the fact that in the named week, services in the church are accompanied by bows to the sacred cross on which the Son of God was allegedly crucified (“allegedly” means that Jesus was not crucified on each of the crosses in all churches).

This action- bowing after reading a prayer occurs four times, starting on Sunday, which is called the Worship of the Cross, and then on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Bowing means tribute to the feat of Christ, the desire to follow him, as well as the acceptance of one’s own burden, one’s destiny, which manifests itself every day in everyday life, such seemingly small deprivations in the form of a reduced portion of food and a complete rejection of worldly entertainment.

This means that in the middle of Lent, the Christian already knew “his cross” and fully felt all the temptations that accompany abstinence, against which he raised his spirit. This is a kind of act of recognizing one’s burden as voluntary, desired.

Also, the cross is a symbol of a reminder of the death of Christ and the result of the entire fast, after which comes the sacred resurrection. Thus, on the Week of the Cross, everyone can feel inspired to continue their fast, realizing for what purpose and what result they are holding their will in their fist.

Story

During the Iranian-Byzantine War in 614, the Persian king Khosroes II besieged and took Jerusalem, taking the Jerusalem Patriarch Zechariah captive and capturing the Tree of the Life-Giving Cross, once found by Equal-to-the-Apostles Helen.

In 626, Khosroes, in alliance with the Avars and Slavs (yes, Slavs!) almost captured Constantinople. Through the miraculous intercession of the Mother of God, the capital city was delivered from the invasion, and then the course of the war changed, and in the end the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius I celebrated the victorious end of the 26-year war.

Presumably March 6, 631 Life-giving Cross returned to Jerusalem. The emperor personally carried him into the city, and Patriarch Zacharias, rescued from captivity, walked joyfully next to him. Since then, Jerusalem began to celebrate the anniversary of the return of the Life-Giving Cross.

It must be said that at that time the duration and severity of Lent were still being discussed, and the order of Lenten services was just being formed. When the custom arose of moving the holidays that occur during Lent from weekdays to Saturdays and Sundays (so as not to violate the strict mood of weekdays), then the holiday in honor of the Cross also shifted and gradually became assigned to the third Sunday of Lent.

It started right in the middle of the post intensive training those catechumens who were going to be baptized at Easter this year. And it turned out to be very appropriate to begin such preparation with the veneration of the Cross.

Starting next Wednesday, at each Presanctified Liturgy, after the litany about the catechumens, there will be another litany - about “those preparing for enlightenment” - precisely in memory of those who diligently prepared and were planning to be baptized soon.

Over time, the purely Jerusalem holiday of the return of the Cross became not so relevant for the entire Christian world, and the holiday in honor of the Cross acquired a more global meaning and a more applied meaning: as a remembrance and help in the middle of the strictest and most difficult of fasts.

When and how does the Orthodox week of veneration of the cross take place?

The veneration of the cross begins the week with the Sunday of the same name, which ends the 3rd week of Lent. Consequently, the week of the Worship of the Cross is the third, despite the fact that larger number Services with veneration of the cross take place in the 4th week.

On the mentioned Sunday, the first service with bows to the cross takes place. The next one takes place on Monday, exactly one day later. Also on Wednesday and Friday evening of the 4th week, the last service of the Cross takes place, after which the cross takes its place in the altar.

The veneration week of Lent in 2019 falls on March 5th. On this day, the traditional removal of the cross to the middle of the temple hall will take place, so that every worshiper can bow to the ground before it and be inspired by the feat done by Jesus to continue the fast.

During the liturgy these days, prayer Holy Trinity, which traditionally accompanies the service every day, is replaced by the prayer song “We worship Thy Cross, O Lord, and holy we glorify Thy Resurrection,” after which bows should be made.

If possible, you should visit all 4 services. The single voice of dozens, turned into prayer, can create a miracle, especially if our will has weakened under the pressure of routine.

Church service

On Saturday evening, at the all-night vigil, the Life-giving Cross of the Lord is solemnly brought into the center of the church - a reminder of the approaching Holy Week and Easter of Christ. After this, the priests and parishioners of the temple make three bows in front of the cross. When venerating the Cross, the Church sings: “We worship Your Cross, O Master, and we glorify Your holy resurrection.” This chant is also sung at the Liturgy instead of the Trisagion.

The Holy Cross remains for veneration during the week until Friday, when it is brought back to the altar before the Liturgy. Therefore, the third Sunday and fourth week of Great Lent are called “Worship of the Cross.”
According to the Charter, there are four venerations during the Week of the Cross: Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. On Sunday, the veneration of the Cross occurs only at Matins (after the removal of the Cross), on Monday and Wednesday it is performed at the first hour, and on Friday “after the dismissal of the hours.”

Liturgical texts in honor of the Cross are very sublime and beautiful; they are replete with contrasts, allegories, and artistic personification.

Lent 2019: meals in the third week (March 31 – April 6)

March 31 – Sunday

Second week of Lent (second Sunday of fasting). Memorial Day of St. Gregory Palamas.
St. Gregory Palamas lived in the 14th century. In accordance with the Orthodox faith, he taught that for the feat of fasting and prayer, the Lord illuminates believers with His gracious light, as the Lord shone on Tabor. For the reason that St. Gregory revealed the teaching about the power of fasting and prayer and it was established to commemorate him on the second Sunday of Great Lent.

April 1 – Monday

April 2 – Tuesday

April 3 – Wednesday

Dry eating: bread, water, greens, raw, dried or soaked vegetables and fruits (for example: raisins, olives, nuts, figs - one of these every time). Once a day, around 15.00.

April 4 – Thursday

Hot food that has been cooked, i.e. boiled, baked, etc. No oil. Once a day, around 15.00.

April 5 – Friday

Dry eating: bread, water, greens, raw, dried or soaked vegetables and fruits (for example: raisins, olives, nuts, figs - one of these every time). Once a day, around 15.00.

April 6 – Saturday

Hot food that has been cooked, i.e. boiled, baked, etc. With vegetable oil and wine (one bowl 200g) twice a day. Pure grape wine without alcohol and sugar, mostly diluted hot water. At the same time, abstaining from wine is highly commendable.

On Saturday of the third week, during Matins, the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord is brought into the middle of the church for the worshipers to worship, therefore the third week and the next, fourth, week are called the Worship of the Cross.

Cookies in the shape of crosses for the week of the cross

There was such an interesting Russian folk tradition– bake cookies in the shape of crosses on the Krestoklonnaya Square. Crosses may differ in size, but they are always of a similar shape; most often they are made symmetrical, equilateral, with four rays.

To do this, two equal strips of dough are placed on top of one another in a cross shape (these are “simple” crosses). or the rolled out dough is cut into “crosses” with a mold or knife (these are “cut-out” crosses).

Sometimes they are made even simpler - in the form of round cakes, on which the image of a cross is applied. According to legend, such Crosses “drived away” everything bad from the house and household members.

Ivan Shmelev in his book “The Summer of the Lord” described this custom well. I will give an extensive quote here - Shmelev very vividly showed how such a tradition is inscribed in the order of life and thinking of an Orthodox, church child. Shown the “presentation angle” of this custom:

“On Saturday of the third week of Lent we bake “crosses”: “Cross Worship” is suitable.
“Crosses” – special cookies, with almond flavor, crumbly and sweet; where the crossbars of the “cross” lie – raspberries from jam are pressed in, as if nailed down with nails. They have been baking this way since time immemorial, even before great-grandmother Ustinya - as a consolation for Lent. Gorkin instructed me this way:
– Our Orthodox faith, Russian... it is, my dear, the best, the most cheerful! It eases the weak, enlightens despondency, and brings joy to the little ones.

And this is the absolute truth. Even though you Lent, but still a relief for the soul, “crosses”. Only under great-grandmother Ustinya there are raisins in sadness, and now there are cheerful raspberries.

“Worship of the Cross” is a holy week, strict fast, some kind of special, - “su-lipped,” - Gorkin says so, in the church way. If we kept it strictly in the church way, we would have to remain in dry eating, but due to weakness, relief is given: on Wednesday-Friday we will eat without butter - pea soup and vinaigrette, and on other days, which are “variegated”, - indulgence... but on The snack is always “crosses”: remember the “Worship of the Cross”.
Maryushka makes “crosses” with prayer...

And Gorkin also instructed:
– Taste the cross and think to yourself: “The venerable cross” has arrived. And these are not for pleasure, but everyone, they say, is given a cross in order to live an exemplary life... and to bear it obediently, as the Lord sends a test. Our faith is good, it does not teach evil, but brings understanding.”

Recipe for almond cookies "Cross"

Products:

150 g peeled almonds,
1⁄2 cup boiling water,
100 g honey,
1 lemon slice with skin about 1 cm thick,
1⁄2 tsp each cinnamon and nutmeg,
1⁄4 cup olive oil,
250 g wheat flour,
50 g rye flour,
2/3 sachet of baking powder.

How to cook:

Wash the almonds and pour boiling water for 10 minutes. Add honey, butter, a slice of lemon and grind with a blender. Mix flour, baking powder and spices. Pour the nut-honey syrup into the flour and knead the dough, which should eventually be rolled into a ball.
Leave the dough for half an hour in the refrigerator, then roll it out into a thin layer (about 5 mm) and cut out crosses. Bake at 190 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Honey cross cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups of flour,
300 g honey,
2-3 tbsp. spoon of vegetable oil,
100 g peeled nuts,
1 teaspoon of spices,
1 lemon,
1 teaspoon soda, raisins.

Preparation

Grind the kernels of nuts (walnuts, almonds or hazel) thoroughly or pass through a meat grinder, combine with honey, add vegetable oil, spices and finely grated lemon with zest.

Mix the mixture, add flour mixed with soda and knead the dough.

Roll it out, cut crosses with a notch or a knife, put the raisins on top and bake in the oven.
To flavor cookies, you can use various spices: cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, etc., as well as their mixtures.

Lemon crosses

Required:

250 g lean margarine,
3 cups flour,
1 cup potato starch,
1 tbsp. l. baking powder,
2 packets of vanilla sugar,
zest of 1 lemon,
1 glass of water.

We bake Lenten lemon cross cookies:

Chop margarine with flour and starch. Add sugar, baking powder, finely grated zest and replace the dough with very cold water(from the refrigerator). Make crosses by pressing raisins into the crossbars and bake.

Cookies Crosses with cucumber pickle

Products:

1 glass cucumber pickle,
1 glass refined sunflower oil,
1 cup of sugar,
100 g coconut flakes,
2-3 cups of flour.

A simple recipe for Lenten crosses in brine cookies:

Mix butter, sugar, brine, half the chips and flour. Knead the dough as thick as shortbread. Roll out, sprinkle with remaining coconut shavings. Cut out the crosses, place on a baking sheet lightly sprinkled with flour and bake at 180 degrees for 5-8 minutes. Instead of coconut flakes, you can use poppy seeds, lemon zest, candied fruits, chopped dried apricots small pieces or dried, crushed in a coffee grinder orange peels.

Lenten cookie dough Crosses with poppy seeds

Cookies ingredients:

25 g poppy seeds,
1 cup flour,
4 tbsp. spoons of sugar,
5 tbsp. spoons of vegetable oil,
0.5 teaspoon of soda,
3 tbsp. spoons of water with lemon juice

Lenten cookies with poppy seeds Crosses during the week of the Cross - step by step recipe with photo:

Mix poppy seeds with 1 tbsp. spoon of sugar, add 100 g of water, heat for 10 minutes until the water boils. To cover with a lid. Rub the poppy seeds in a mortar until milk of the poppy appears and the characteristic poppy smell appears.
Pour flour, poppy seeds, 3 tbsp into a bowl. spoons of sugar and rub with your hands.
Add oil.
Add soda with lemon juice, add 2 tbsp. spoons of water and knead the dough. Wrap in film and place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Roll out the dough 0.5 cm thick, cut out crosses. Press a raisin into the middle of each cross. Bake at 180 C for 15 minutes.

In the old days, during the week of the cross, on Wednesday they congratulated people on the end of the first half of Lent. It was customary to bake cross-shaped cookies from unleavened dough. Cookies were baked with prayer. In these crosses they baked either rye grain to make bread, or a chicken feather to raise chickens, or human hair to make the head easier.

A person was considered happy if he came across one of these objects. The cookies were a reminder of the suffering of Christ and that every person has his own cross in life.

There was a custom on the third Sunday of Lent to fumigate the house with vapors of vinegar and mint in order to cleanse the home and drive out the spirit of any disease.

About the third Sunday of Great Lent in the Lenten Triodion (the book containing the order and texts of the service) it is written: “We celebrate the Adoration of the Venerable and Life-Giving Cross.” During fasting, the Triodion says, we are crucified, like Christ, while “we feel bitterness, despondent and exhausted.” That is why the Cross of Christ appears before believers, “reminding us of the suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ and comforting us.” The consolation is that now the flaming sword no longer guards the gates of heaven, and death and its sting have been banished.

At the evening service on Saturday, at the end of the service after the singing of the Great Doxology (“Glory to God in the highest...”), when the choir sings the Trisagion (“Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us”), the priest holding the Cross on chapter, leaves the northern (left) doors of the altar and stands in front of the Royal Doors. Here he proclaims: “Wisdom, forgive,” after which the choir (and the entire church, as a rule) sings the troparion to the cross: “Save, Lord, Thy people and bless Thy inheritance, victories Orthodox Christian bestowing on the resistance and preserving Your residence through Your Cross.” During the singing of the troparion, the priest carries the cross to the middle of the temple and places it on the central lectern. After this, the lectern is censed on four sides and the veneration of the Cross begins. The troparion is sung three times: “We bow to Your Cross, O Master, and glorify Your Holy Resurrection.”

There is a tradition: after each performance of the troparion, worshipers bow to the ground. The actual veneration of the Cross occurs at the end of the singing of the troparion. The choir sings chants (stichera) beginning with the words: “Come faithful, let us worship the life-giving Tree, on which Christ the King of Glory willingly stretched out his hand...” The worshipers take turns approaching the central lectern with the Cross lying on it, make two bows to the ground, then kiss the Cross and make another prostration.

In the same way, the veneration of the Cross is performed on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of the next seven days after the Sunday of the Cross. On Monday and Wednesday mornings, during the reading of the first hour, the following is also sung: “We bow to Thy Cross, O Master...”, the stichera are sung and the worshipers, bowing to the ground, venerate the Cross. And on Friday, when the reading of the hours ends, the priest takes the Cross to the altar.

Gospel of the Week of the Cross

Take up your cross. The first thought that comes to our minds when we hear these words is the ego thought about the “cross,” that is, about the sorrowful path of life. At the same time, we less often think about self-sacrifice in the name of the Lord, but more often about those difficulties, great and small, that befall us. We cannot understand why our sorrows are saving for us? Why can't you move through life without a cross? Yes, because life in this evil world is, in principle, a life filled with sorrow. Life, with its shaky ground of dangers, temptations and vices, resembles a swamp that constantly threatens to swallow a person and drag him into its quagmire. Usually people either jump thoughtlessly from bump to bump, or look for a drier, more comfortable place; but for both of them this “road” leads to a quagmire from which there is no way out.

Others try to find their way on their own. They are blacksmiths own life and happiness - they confidently step into the swamp and say: “We ourselves will pave the way to a wonderful future! No one will give us deliverance!” Some are so self-confident that they not only walk through the swamp along the path they have imagined, but also drag others along with them. They end up falling into the same quagmire along with their human herd.

A weak and limited person will never find his own true path in life. His independent path will always be only the path to death. There is only one thing left: to take up your cross and follow your guide, the Lord. True, the path along which the Lord leads a person through life is difficult and dangerous. But even when it seems unbearable, we should not let go of the hand of the Lord, leading and supporting us.

Every person has a cross. But everyone is given a cross exactly according to his measurements. It is only our impatience and rebellion that makes it too difficult. The meaning of the events that happen to us is usually hidden from us. Only by looking into our past can we discover the benefit of everything that happened to us if we lived with the Lord. When a person tries to live according to his own will, it brings him a lot of disappointments. When we try to choose for ourselves life path, we are always dissatisfied, it always seems to us that we made a bad choice. And only when we rely on the will of God, revealed to us in Christ, do we understand that our cross, our place and occupation that has befallen us is the best for us.

Icon of the Cross of Christ

Cross - sacred symbol Christianity, a sign not only of shameful execution and death, but a sign of Christ’s victory over death.
Christ on ancient icons is represented with his arms outstretched on the sides of the cross, as if He embraces everyone with His love. The image of death was symbolized by a black cave under the cross, where a skull and bones were depicted. According to Tradition, Golgotha is the grave of Adam, the first man who sinned against the creator and doomed humanity to death. But Christ, the “New Adam,” defeats death on the cross and frees people from the kingdom of death. “As in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive,” writes the Apostle Paul.

In carved icons, in applied arts Often we can see a cross without an image of the Lord. In this case, the cross is necessarily accompanied by the writing of the name of the Savior: (Jesus Christ the Son of God). The names are also written: King of Glory and NIKA, which means “victory,” for the highest glory of Christ is His death, and the Resurrection is His victory over death.

The image of Golgotha is signed with the letters MLRB, which means: Place of Execution, Paradise Byst. At the bottom are the letters GG (Mount Golgotha), GA (Head of Adam). Images of the instruments of Christ's passion: a cane with a sponge and a spear are also signed with the letters T and K.

More often than others in the Orthodox (Eastern Christian) tradition, the shape of an eight-pointed cross is used. From the writings of the evangelists, one can understand that two more crossbars were nailed to the cross of Christ (apparently, originally four-pointed): a foot and a tablet with the inscription “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” It is this inscription that we see in the form of the letters INCI both on Crucifixions and on symbolic images of the cross. Traditionally, on eight-pointed crosses, the lower crossbar is turned diagonally: its left end is raised up, the right is lowered to commemorate the fact that one of the thieves crucified with Christ repented and went to heaven (“Today you will be with Me in Paradise,” he said Savior), and the other blasphemed the Lord and doomed himself to hell.

Crosses with a crescent are often placed above churches. The symbolism of these crosses has nothing to do with Islam; this ancient form dates back to the early Christian image of the anchor as a symbol of hope. In one of his letters, the Apostle Paul writes that Christians must “take hold of the hope that is set before us, that is, the Cross, which is like a safe and strong anchor for the soul.” Various versions of the flourishing cross are widespread in Orthodox art, emphasizing the symbolism of the cross as the Tree of Life.

We present to the attention of readers a previously unpublished article by St. Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. It was written when he was an archimandrite of the Kholm Theological Seminary, in the territory of modern Poland, and published in the magazine “Conversation”, which was published in Warsaw. The publication was prepared by senior Researcher department modern history Russian Orthodox Church XX century PSTGU Natalia Aleksandrovna Krivosheeva.

Here comes Great Lent. Its Fourth Week is called “Worship of the Cross.” It is called so because on the third Sunday of Great Lent, at Matins, the holy cross is brought into the middle of the church for veneration, and remains there until Friday. Why is the Holy Church doing this?

Travelers traveling a long and difficult journey, if they find a branchy tree on the road, sit under its shade, rest here and then, relieved and gathered strength, continue on their way. Likewise, during Lent, the Church offers the life-giving tree of the Lord’s cross to those who go through the path of exploits, labors and hardships for “relief, cooling and consolation.”

The time of fasting is an intensified time of deeds of piety. If ever, then it is in fasting that you need to crucify your flesh with its passions and lusts. True fasting consists in alienating oneself from everything bad, keeping one’s tongue away from every idle word, especially rotten and inappropriate words, leaving hatred and rage, removing from oneself all lusts and desires of the flesh. Removal from this should not constitute fasting, not compulsion and labor for us, but the most suitable thing, peace and joy. But our nature is damaged by sin and we are accustomed to breaking laws, and therefore whoever wants to be free from sins finds this far from easy. To support a Christian in such godly works and deeds, the Church offers the life-giving Cross of Christ as consolation and encouragement.

We have to fight sin, crucify our passions and lusts, and suffer. But didn’t Christ the Savior wage an intense struggle with the representatives of [evil] - the devil and evil people? Didn't He suffer greatly from them? Wasn't He crucified? And after all, we suffer for our own sins, we receive “in deed,” but He, the Most Merciful, suffered not for His sins, but for others, for our human ones!

In order to remove the “thorn of sin” from our flesh, we have to curb it by fasting, strict abstinence from everything that serves to please it. Didn’t Christ fast for forty days, even though he had a sinless nature? Miraculously satisfying others, did He not Himself hunger and thirst? During Lent, the Church strongly encourages us to spend time in vigil and prayer. But didn’t Christ the Savior devote all the time that remained free from teaching and doing good to people to a conversation with His Father, to fervent prayer to Him? So, this means that the path of fasting is the path of Christ, and whoever wants to serve Him must follow Him, and for this they promise him bliss and glory from Christ, for “where the cross is, there is glory.”

With the concept of the cross we connect not only the concept of suffering, but also of glory

With the concept of the cross we connect not only the concept of suffering, but also the glory that follows suffering. Thus, on the cross the Savior endures great suffering. The innocent person is condemned to a shameful execution and nailed to the cross; crowned with a crown of thorns, his rib is pierced, he endures reproach and reproach, and experiences severe torment. But at the same time, on the Cross He accomplishes that great work of redemption of people, for which He came to earth, and thereby not only glorifies Himself, but introduces others into the Kingdom of glory and glorifies even the Cross itself: from that time on, the cross is no longer a shameful instrument of execution, but, on the contrary, the most dear and sacred object for Christians. Therefore, Christians, if they follow the path of exploits and struggle with sin, if they humbly and diligently bear their cross, that is, various disasters, deprivations, grief, etc., let them be comforted: Kingdom by God's power is taken, and they, as those who use effort for this, will take it with the help of God. If they share in the sufferings of Christ, they will also share in the glory of Christ; if they die with Him, they will rise with Him.

But the gracious power of the Cross of Christ not only provides reinforcement and consolation for those “enlightened by fasting,” but can also touch the hearts of those of us who continue to lead a sinful, vain life in fasting, and can awaken them from the heavy sleep of sin. Perhaps a look at the Divine Sufferer, who suffered death on the cross for our sins, will remind those who call themselves Christians that they were baptized with the death of Christ, committed to serving the Lord, and not the world and sin, and not their own whims and passions! Perhaps a glance at the instrument of the terrible suffering of the Son of God will shake someone’s heart and produce a saving change in thoughts and feelings! Perhaps souls will appear, although they are sinners, but have not yet reached the point of extreme blindness and bitterness, who will return from the temple, as many returned from Golgotha - beating their hearts!

May these hopes of the Holy Church come true and be justified, and may the Cross of Christ serve us all for salvation!

This action - bowing after reading a prayer - occurs four times, starting on Sunday, which is called the Worship of the Cross, and then on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Bowing means tribute to the feat of Christ, the desire to follow him, as well as the acceptance of one’s own burden, one’s destiny, which manifests itself every day in everyday life, such seemingly small deprivations in the form of a reduced portion of food and a complete rejection of worldly entertainment.

The meaning of the Week of the Cross lies on the surface. The people have an expression “carry your cross”; it is directly related to the explanation. During Lent, every Christian tries to bear the burden that lay on the shoulders of Jesus during the days of forty days of abstinence. Everyone experiences their own temptation based on their “weak” point. This means that in the middle of Lent, the Christian already knew “his cross” and fully felt all the temptations that accompany abstinence, against which he raised his spirit. This is a kind of act of recognizing one’s burden as voluntary, desired.

When and how will the Week of Veneration of the Cross take place in 2019?

Lent in 2019 will begin on March 11 and last until April 27. There is a slight confusion with the name of the week of the Worship of the Cross due to differences in data in several sources, which requires clarification.

Many of these sources call the 4th week of Lent the Worship of the Cross, which seems quite logical and memorable, given the clue that it falls exactly in the middle of Lent. However, in fact, the name of the Worship of the Cross moves on for a week from the Sunday of the same name, which ends the 3rd week of Lent. Consequently, the week of the Veneration of the Cross is the third, despite the fact that a greater number of services with veneration of the cross take place in the 4th week.

The veneration week of Lent in 2019 falls on March 31st. On this day, the traditional removal of the cross to the middle of the temple hall will take place, so that every worshiper can bow to the ground before it and be inspired by the feat done by Jesus to continue the fast.

During the liturgy these days, the prayer to the Most Holy Trinity, which traditionally accompanies the service every day, is replaced by the prayer hymn “We worship Your Cross, O Master, and holyly we glorify Your Resurrection,” after which bows should be made.

If possible, you should visit all 4 services. The single voice of dozens, turned into prayer, can create a miracle, especially if our will has weakened under the pressure of routine.

What is necessary for everyone during the Week of the Cross?

2 weeks after the start of fasting, everyone who did not take it seriously returned to their usual food, way of thinking and life. No wonder, because the test of giving up “pampering”, which you can reach with your hand, is one of the most difficult. However, for those who have managed to control themselves, the Week of the Cross serves as a beacon that shows them to continue the path to purification and the great joy of the Resurrection.

But simply knowing your goal, albeit a great one, is not enough; it is necessary to be aware of the helpers who are always at our disposal, within us. They help overcome the first, most hard days fasting, guide us in the following weeks and do not allow us to indulge in temptations and indulgences. It's about here's what it's about:

The week of the Cross is not special in terms of meals. Ordinary people Those who are not monastics can eat twice or thrice a day. You should limit the consumption of oil, spices and the amount of food you eat in general. Desirable foods for consumption remain: boiled vegetables, cereals, vegetable soups, various salads without pickles and dressings. Drinks: water, compote, decoction of chamomile, mint or other soothing herbs. On weekends, you can add a little oil and seasonings to your food and drink a bit of Cahors.

The lifestyle should continue to be solitary, with no absences from home other than necessary, watching and listening to worldly broadcasts, festivals and guest receptions.

The best thing for the soul would be to attend church during morning and evening services, spending time in prayer and thoughts directed to God. This will inspire and support us on the path to understanding the mystery of the death and resurrection of the Lord, bring us immeasurably closer to the light emanating from Him, and remind us that we must never retreat from the bright path we have chosen.

The veneration week of Lent 2018 falls in its middle. Each week of Lent has a special name, reminiscent of one or another event associated with the holy great martyrs, metropolitans, miracle workers, Jesus Christ himself, the Mother of God and the Holy Trinity.

The names convey special differences in church services and in who should offer prayer and worship. This is also connected with special spiritual instructions, perceiving which Christians must unite in a single impulse, supporting each other in deed and word, let it be reflected only in prayer. The Third Week of Great Lent is dedicated to the veneration of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross. The editors of the website Useful Sovetie.ru found out when the week of veneration of the cross will take place and in which week of Lent in 2018. What traditions exist, traditions and rituals, as well as the history of this wonderful holiday. And we will share the best recipes for Lenten Cross cookies, which are traditionally baked at home during the week of the Cross.

What is the Week of the Cross?
Story
When and how does the week of veneration of the cross take place?
- Church service
Tradition - baking cookies in the shape of crosses during the week of veneration of the cross
- Recipe for almond cookies "Cross"
- Honey cross cookies
- Lemon crosses
- Cookies Crosses with cucumber pickle
- Lenten cookie dough Crosses with poppy seeds

This action - bowing after reading a prayer - occurs four times, starting on Sunday, which is called the Worship of the Cross, and then on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Presumably on March 6, 631, the Life-Giving Cross returned to Jerusalem, reports the Rosregistr portal. The emperor personally carried him into the city, and Patriarch Zacharias, rescued from captivity, walked joyfully next to him. Since then, Jerusalem began to celebrate the anniversary of the return of the Life-Giving Cross.

Just from the middle of Lent, intensive preparation began for those catechumens who were going to be baptized on Easter this year. And it turned out to be very appropriate to begin such preparation with the veneration of the Cross.

The veneration of the cross begins the week with the Sunday of the same name, which ends the 3rd week of Lent. Consequently, the week of the Veneration of the Cross is the third, despite the fact that a greater number of services with veneration of the cross take place in the 4th week.

The veneration week of Lent in 2018 falls on March 5th. On this day, the traditional removal of the cross to the middle of the temple hall will take place, so that every worshiper can bow to the ground before it and be inspired by the feat done by Jesus to continue the fast.

If possible, you should visit all 4 services. The single voice of dozens, turned into prayer, can create a miracle, especially if our will has weakened under the pressure of routine.

According to the Charter, there are four venerations during the Week of the Cross: Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. On Sunday, the veneration of the Cross occurs only at Matins (after the removal of the Cross), on Monday and Wednesday it is performed at the first hour, and on Friday “after the dismissal of the hours.”

Liturgical texts in honor of the Cross are very sublime and beautiful; they are replete with contrasts, allegories, and artistic personification.

There was such an interesting Russian folk tradition - baking cookies in the form of crosses on the Cross. Crosses may differ in size, but they are always of a similar shape; most often they are made symmetrical, equilateral, with four rays.

Sometimes they are made even simpler - in the form of round cakes, on which the image of a cross is applied. According to legend, such Crosses “drived away” everything bad from the house and household members.

“On Saturday of the third week of Lent we bake “crosses”: “Cross Worship” is suitable.
“Crosses” – special cookies, with almond flavor, crumbly and sweet; where the crossbars of the “cross” lie – raspberries from jam are pressed in, as if nailed down with nails. They have been baking this way since time immemorial, even before great-grandmother Ustinya - as a consolation for Lent. Gorkin instructed me this way:
– Our Orthodox faith, Russian... it is, my dear, the best, the most cheerful! It eases the weak, enlightens despondency, and brings joy to the little ones.

And this is the absolute truth. Even though it’s Lent for you, it’s still a relief for the soul, “crosses.” Only under great-grandmother Ustinya there are raisins in sadness, and now there are cheerful raspberries.

“Worship of the Cross” is a sacred week, a strict fast, something special, “su-lip,” Gorkin says so, in the church way. If we kept it strictly in the church way, we would have to remain in dry eating, but due to weakness, relief is given: on Wednesday-Friday we will eat without butter - pea soup and vinaigrette, and on other days, which are “variegated”, - indulgence... but on The snack is always “crosses”: remember the “Worship of the Cross”.
Maryushka makes “crosses” with prayer...

And Gorkin also instructed:

– Taste the cross and think to yourself: “The venerable cross” has arrived. And these are not for pleasure, but everyone, they say, is given a cross in order to live an exemplary life... and to bear it obediently, as the Lord sends a test. Our faith is good, it does not teach evil, but brings understanding.”

Products:

150 g peeled almonds,
1⁄2 cup boiling water,
100 g honey,
1 lemon slice with skin about 1 cm thick,
1⁄2 tsp each cinnamon and nutmeg,
1⁄4 cup olive oil,
250 g wheat flour,
50 g rye flour,
2/3 sachet of baking powder.

How to cook:

Ingredients:

2 cups of flour,
300 g honey,
2-3 tbsp. spoon of vegetable oil,
100 g peeled nuts,
1 teaspoon of spices,
1 lemon,
1 teaspoon soda, raisins.

Preparation

Grind the kernels of nuts (walnuts, almonds or hazel) thoroughly or mince them, combine with honey, add vegetable oil, spices and finely grated lemon with zest.

Mix the mixture, add flour mixed with soda and knead the dough.

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Required:

250 g lean margarine,
3 cups flour,
1 cup potato starch,
1 tbsp. l. baking powder,
2 packets of vanilla sugar,
zest of 1 lemon,
1 glass of water.

We bake Lenten lemon cross cookies:

Chop margarine with flour and starch. Add sugar, baking powder, finely grated zest and replace the dough with very cold water (from the refrigerator). Make crosses by pressing raisins into the crossbars and bake.

Products:

1 glass of cucumber pickle,
1 cup refined sunflower oil,
1 cup of sugar,
100 g coconut flakes,
2-3 cups of flour.

A simple recipe for Lenten crosses in brine cookies:

Mix butter, sugar, brine, half the chips and flour. Knead the dough as thick as shortbread. Roll out, sprinkle with remaining coconut shavings. Cut out the crosses, place on a baking sheet lightly sprinkled with flour and bake at 180 degrees for 5-8 minutes. Instead of coconut flakes, you can use poppy seeds, lemon zest, candied fruits, dried apricots, cut into small pieces or dried orange peels crushed in a coffee grinder.

Cookies ingredients:

25 g poppy seeds,
1 cup flour,
4 tbsp. spoons of sugar,
5 tbsp. spoons of vegetable oil,
0.5 teaspoon of soda,
3 tbsp. spoons of water with lemon juice

Lenten cookies with poppy seeds Crosses during the week of the Cross - step-by-step recipe with photos:

Mix poppy seeds with 1 tbsp. spoon of sugar, add 100 g of water, heat for 10 minutes until the water boils. To cover with a lid. Rub the poppy seeds in a mortar until milk of the poppy appears and the characteristic poppy smell appears.
Pour flour, poppy seeds, 3 tbsp into a bowl. spoons of sugar and rub with your hands.
Add oil.
Add soda with lemon juice, add 2 tbsp. spoons of water and knead the dough. Wrap in film and place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Roll out the dough 0.5 cm thick, cut out crosses. Press a raisin into the middle of each cross. Bake at 180 C for 15 minutes.

A person was considered happy if he came across one of these objects. The cookies were a reminder of the suffering of Christ and that every person has his own cross in life.

There was a custom on the third Sunday of Lent to fumigate the house with vapors of vinegar and mint in order to cleanse the home and drive out the spirit of any disease.

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