EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS

The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross This past Sunday, September 13th, 2026, we gathered at St. Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church in Douglaston, New York to celebrate Khachverats — the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, one of the five Major Feasts of the Armenian Apostolic Church. This feast commemorates the restoration of the True Cross to Jerusalem in the 7th century and stands as a celebration of the Cross as the eternal symbol of our faith, our strength, and God's boundless love for humanity. Fr. Nareg delivered his homily on the Gospel of John chapter 3, reflecting on the great paradox at the heart of our faith: an instrument of death has become the sign of life, and a symbol of condemnation has become a source of grace. At the center of his message was the nature of true love — love is not simply a feeling, it requires sacrifice. As John 3:16 reveals, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son." On the Cross, God's love was not merely spoken — it was given completely. Fr. Nareg invited each of us to reflect on a personal question: What am I willing to give up for the people I say I love? The Cross does not call us simply to admire God's love — it calls us to live it. At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, we celebrated the Antasdan — a sacred rite in which our priest blesses the four directions of the world, entrusting all of creation to God's protection and grace. Following the blessing, our faithful received leaves of basil to take home — a beautiful and fragrant reminder of God's blessing carried into every household.