Sunday before Holy Cross / Divine Liturgy, Κυριακὴ πρὸ της Υψώσεως. Preludes of the Holy and Animal Cross.
” CROSS OF CHRIST SAVING OUR STRENGTH “
On Sunday, 10 September 2023, in the Holy Metropolitan, Orthros and then the Divine Liturgy were performed with enthusiasm and grandeur, ιερουργούντος του Αρχιερατικού Επιτρόπου Αιδεσιμολογιωτάτου π. Petrou Maragos flanked by the archpriest Fr. George Kousathanas, with the presence of pious Mykonos and vacationers who came to pray.
This Sunday is called the Sunday before the Ascension and is together with the Ascension of the Holy Cross and the Sunday after the Ascension that follows an opportunity for the faithful Christians to celebrate the Holy and life-giving Cross and to go deeper into the Lord's Altar..
Gospel Reading – Gospel
The Reading is from the Gospel According to John 3:13-17
The Gospel of Sunday 10 September 2023 (Κυριακὴ πρὸ τῆς Ὑψώσεως) – According to John III 13-17
” Καὶ οὐδεὶς ἀναβέβηκεν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν εἰ μὴ ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβάς, ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ὁ ὤν ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ. 14 καὶ καθὼς Μωϋσῆς ὕψωσε τὸν ὄφιν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, οὕτως ὑψωθῆναι δεῖ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, 15 ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν μὴ ἀπόληται ἀλλ 'ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον. 16 Οὕτω γὰρ ἠγάπησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν κόσμον, ⁇ στε τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ ἔδωκεν, ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν μὴ ἀπόληται ἀλλ 'ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον. 17 οὐ γὰρ ἀπέστειλεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἵνα κρίνῃ τὸν κόσμον, ἀλλ ’ἵνα σωθῇ ὁ κόσμος δι’ αὐτοῦ “.
“WHY DID GOD SEND HIS SON INTO THE WORLD AND JUDGE THE WORLD, OTHERWISE THE WORLD WAS SAVED THROUGH HIM”
In today's gospel, Lord Ias emphasizes that anyone who believes in Him is not going to perish., but he will be given eternal life by the benevolent god. The words of the Lord are clear: "That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life, but to have eternal life " (Io. 3,16). He emphasizes this wanting to show us, however, that for our salvation not only the charity of God and His love is enough, but also our own faith.. Faith is the only means by which we can walk on the path to Christ and is a basic condition for our salvation..
The Church placed the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross at the beginning of the new ecclesiastical year, because he wants to show the faithful, that their time must be valued for the sole purpose of their salvation.
SEE IMAGES FROM THE DIVINE SERVICE:
