This year, the feast of the Annunciation coincided with the Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross. The feast, of course, happens at a fixed date, and so, from year to year, depending on what day it falls, it is always interesting to see the commination. The hymns of this feast, celebrating the incarnation of the Son of God, go along very well with those of adoration of the Son of God’s Life-giving Cross. The adoration of the Cross gives us the strength to continue our Lenten podvig and helps us concentrate on where we are going with our Great Lenten feat of prayers and fasting. The feast day of the Holy Theotokos, bursts forth with joy during this somber time of year.
For many years, it has become a tradition that a pilgrimage of fellow Orthodox Christians from St. Savvas’ cathedral in New York City comes this weekend to join us in observing this feast of veneration of the Life-Giving Cross. We pray that this tradition continue.
On the Saturday, a large group of Orthodox Christians from the Antiochian parish in Syracuse paid us a visit. It is so vital that young people make pilgrimages to holy places, especially monasteries, and especially during Great Lent.
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