On March 31, on the Third Sunday of Lent we had a nice celebration at St. George Church. On that Sunday the Orthodox Church venerates the Holy Cross.
Before the reading of the Hours the Rector solemnly transferred decorated cross from the altar to the middle of the church and placed it on the stand. After the Gospel lesson during the Divine Liturgy Fr. Igor preached a homily in Russian stressing the importance of the Holy Cross in Christian life. He recalled a known observation that the cross looks like a plus sign. The Lord through His Cross adds us strength, comfort and forgiveness. He also assures us that through the Cross being a tool of salvation, we may attain eternal life and being admitted into paradise.

The choir prayerfully performed penitential hymns and hymns dedicated to the Holy Cross during preparation for Holy Communion.

After the Liturgy dismissal the Rector preached a short sermon in English conveying the main ideas of his Russian homily.

Following that the Rector and the altar servers came out of the sanctuary before the stand in the middle of the church and venerated the Precious Cross.