Happy Michaelmas and Feast of the Holy Cross

[The Liturgist]

I thought I would make a post wishing everyone on the Gregorian Calendar a happy week following Michaelmas, and likewise I hope those Orthodox Christians on the Julian Calendar have had a blessed Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, which was last week for them (both feasts are on September 14th and September 29th for all traditional liturgical churches, so the only difference in timing relates to the calendar).

I have been watching beautiful liturgies of both churches. Unfortunately I was sick all week and was not able to attend either - yesterday morning in particularly I had once of the worst headaches of my life. Prayers would be appreciated since I now have to get caught up on everything. But I nonetheless can say I have had a blessed Michaelmas, because God has seen fit to deliver me from that headache.

 

[chevyontheriver]

I thought I would make a post wishing everyone on the Gregorian Calendar a happy week following Michaelmas, and likewise I hope those Orthodox Christians on the Julian Calendar have had a blessed Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, which was last week for them (both feasts are on September 14th and September 29th for all traditional liturgical churches, so the only difference in timing relates to the calendar).

I have been watching beautiful liturgies of both churches. Unfortunately I was sick all week and was not able to attend either - yesterday morning in particularly I had once of the worst headaches of my life. Prayers would be appreciated since I now have to get caught up on everything. But I nonetheless can say I have had a blessed Michaelmas, because God has seen fit to deliver me from that headache.

Michaelmas was my old parish patron saint celebration. It usually had a procession through the neighborhood. Here is a song written for the day by the music director, 'Wings of the Wind:

And here is 'Lift High the Cross':

 

[The Liturgist]

Michaelmas was my old parish patron saint celebration. It usually had a procession through the neighborhood. Here is a song written for the day by the music director, 'Wings of the Wind:

And here is 'Lift High the Cross':

I myself really enjoy the traditional Ambrosian rite hymns for the Feast of the Cross, which are incredibly ancient.

The Ambrosian Rite of the Roman Catholic Church probably does the best job celebrating the Exaltation of the Cross of any denomination, with their famous “Rite of the Cloud”, where a relic of the Cross is brought down from its reliquary on a Baroque cloud-shaped gondola, in a spectacular liturgy:

I would note the 2011 service I have linked to is especially beautiful.