The True Cross

 

Today's the Feast of Exaltation of the Holy Cross. You may recall that Constantine's Mother, Helena, recovered the True Cross in Jerusalem, where it was rightly venerated until the heathen Persians sacked the Holy City in the early mid-7th century. Emperor Heraclius retook it in 628 AD, only for the savage Moslems to overtake his victory and conquer the holy city in 638 AD.

Heraclius, perhaps the last of the classical Roman Emperors, saved the Cross from Mohammedan fanatics, however, a large fragment remained in Jerusalem and was rescued by the first Crusaders, who venerated the relic and took it into battle with varying degrees of success.

I find the history or legend of the relic fascinating and compelling, that's me, but reflect on the words it points to, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me." 

Again, "Whoever would save his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it." And lest there be any doubt, "What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?" Reflect on that.

Here endeth the lesson,

LSP

Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Today's the Feast of the Holy Cross and Christians everywhere, if they think about it all, scratch their heads and ask why September 14th?

Because the Eastern Roman Emperor Heraclius returned the Cross to its rightful place in Jerusalem's Holy Sepulchre on September 14, 629 AD. Where had the most holy relic in Christendom been until then? With the pagan Persians who, under their King Chosroes II waged war against Constantinople, capturing Jerusalem and the Cross in 608, along with much of the rest of Asia Minor.

However, despite near total defeat, Heraclius, possibly the last classical Roman Emperor, launched a successful campaign against the Persians, defeating Chosroes in 627 at the battle of Nineveh and advancing on his capital, Ctesiphon. 

Chosroes was subsequently overthrown and killed by his bloodthirsty son Kavad, who gave the Cross to Heraclius in a gesture of goodwill. And so the Wood on which hung the Saviour of the World returned to the Holy City. Restored on the same day as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre's consecration, September 14th.

Legend has it that Heraclius attempted to carry the Cross into Jerusalem in his bejeweled regalia but was mysteriously unable to move forward. The city's Patriarch, advised by an angel, put matters right; the Emperor must proceed in sackcloth, barefoot, and he did.

So the Cross came back to the Sepulchre. Within a few short decades it faced another enemy, Islam, which arose like a storm from the East and swept both Persian and Byzantine empires before it.

O GOD, who by the passion of thy blessed Son hast made the instrument of shameful death to be unto us the sign of life and peace: Grant us so to glory in the Cross of Christ, that we may gladly suffer shame and loss; for the sake of the same thy Son 

our Lord. Amen.

God Bless,

LSP

Cultural Enrichment

Sirens fill the air, the dull rumble of a train passes by, dogs bark psychotically and all in all, it's just another evening in this bucolic, Texan, rural haven. But at least the Jihad isn't trying to kill us with peace bombs, as in New York.

We don't have many Akayed Ullahs here in Hill County, doubtless because they're all in Dallas and now that the President's travel ban on the peace lovers is coming into effect, we'll have less still. What a shame. 

A Peace Lover

Think of the cultural enrichment we'd have from a massive influx of military aged peace loving males from, say, Syria or Bangladesh or Libya or Tunisia or Iraq or any number of failed peace loving states run by the beautiful peace loving religion of peace.

Weird, isn't it, how the peace loving followers of the religion of peace keep blowing themselves and others up. Reflect on this too.

Religion of Peace Falling Behind The Tech Curve 

Muslims claim total superiority over everyone else because they have the definitive revelation from God and therefore know how to live. Leaving aside the helpful bits in the Koran about wife beating and cattle management, how come all their countries are failed third world hell holes?

Heraclius Slays The Persian, artist's impression

Or to put it another way, if Islam is so very awesome, why are the Islamic nations so clearly behind the West, culturally, scientifically, militarily and all the rest. They weren't at one time and now they are. Why? Because they conquered a fatally weakened Eastern Roman Empire and its Persian enemy, inheriting something of the genius of both. Then they drew checks on the deposit until nothing was left and we see the result today.

Let's Have This Back

It's a conundrum for  the Islamists, this can't be their fault, so they resort to victimhood and, well, blowing themselves up. But what am I saying! If the West is so great, why are we 20 trillion in debt and forcing bakers to make gay cakes?

By the beard of the Prophet,

LSP