IN THE SUMMER in the city of Constantinople, sickness abounded, and the bishops would take the True Cross of Christ in a procession to pray for healing. We continue this practice in our present day, on the feast of the Procession of the Cross (Aug. 1) by taking up the cross in a procession and blessing our own means of spiritual (and, if God wills, physical) healing: Holy Water, and the season’s new honey.
At the conclusion of Liturgy on Sunday, Father John led us in the blessing of water and honey, and we made a procession around the church to bless our hives, and the faithful who assembled, with the Holy Water. Honey from the hives was distributed to all, and we enjoyed some melomakarona, spiced Greek honey cookies. Some photos are below:
