The Elevation (Exaltation) of the Holy Cross is one of the Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church.

This is a holy day of fasting and repentance. On this day the faithful make dedication to the crucified Lord and pledge their faithfulness to him by making prostrations at the Lords feet on the life creating Cross. For the feast, the Cross is placed on a tray surrounded by flowers or branches of basil, and placed in the center of the Church for veneration.

At Holy Trinity Cathedral, on the eve of the feast, Vigil (Vespers and Matins) is served.  Vespers contains three Old Testament readings. The first, from Exodus 15:22-16:1, tells of the "tree" which made the bitter waters sweet, the symbol of the Tree of the Cross. The second reading is from Proverbs 3:11-18, which reminds us that the Lord chastens and corrects those whom he loves and that Divine Wisdom is "a Tree of life to those who lay hold upon her and trust in her, as in the Lord." The third reading is from the Prophecy of Isaiah 60:11-16; it tells of the "city of the Lord" where both Jews and Gentiles will live together and shall prostrate themselves at the place of God's feet and "shall know that I, the Lord, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob."

During Matins, the four directions of the universe are blessed with the Cross, while the faithful repeat the chant "Lord have mercy." The Matins Gospel reading is from John 12:28-36. In it, Christ says that when he is elevated on the Cross he will draw all men to himself.

Divine Liturgy is served on the day of the feast. The normal antiphons are replaced by special verses from the psalms 22, 74, and 99, which have direct reference to Christ's crucifixion on the Cross. "Before Thy Cross" replaces the Trisagion hymn, and as it is sung, the faithful make three prostrations. The epistle reading is from I Corinthians 1:18-24, and says that "the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." The gospel reading is taken from John 19:6-11, 13-20, 25-28, and 30-35 together. This long reading is the passion account.  Read more about the origins of this feast day here.