Maxine King

Dear Friends,

Today is Holy Cross Day, a feast that might feel a bit out of place given the trajectory of our liturgical year. A day centered on the mystery of the Cross might seem more suited to the devotions of Holy Week than a day in the middle of the season after Pentecost. In fact, the Epistle appointed for Holy Communion today, Philippians 2:5-11, is the same as Palm Sunday, and its text is found all over the other liturgies of Holy Week.

The historical reason for the date of today's feast is that it commemorates the dedication of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which was built where St. Helena discovered the True Cross in the 4th century. This historical element is absent from our Prayerbook liturgy, and even the old and new Roman Catholic liturgies are much more focused on venerating the mystery of the Cross rather than the historical commemoration of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. So why might the Church place so much emphasis and solemnity on today's feast, in what might feel like a day of liturgical whiplash so far away from Holy Week?

You may have heard yesterday the parish choir sing a setting of Christus factus est by Felice Anerio, cleverly (and I'm sure quite intentionally) selected by our music director for its relevance to the feast today. The text of the anthem is derived from today's Epistle, which contains the central paradox of our faith -- "Christ, for our sake, became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a Name above every name."

Christ our God, dying a humiliating death for our sake, and yet also being exalted above all through this death is certainly a paradox. The music of Anerio's setting expresses this through a sudden change in time signature in which slow and winding polyphony ("Christ, for our sake, became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.") becomes upbeat in an almost march-like cadence ("Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a Name above every name."). There's a similar disjointed approach to the text and music found in the plainsong setting of the same text sung throughout the Triduum, in which the later sections are omitted beginning on Maundy Thursday and only added on Good Friday and Holy Saturday. These musical compositions seem to internally perform the seasonal paradox we feel today, and celebrating our salvation in the mystery of the Cross.

I doubt that our Church's liturgists had the intention of expressing the internal paradox of this feast with the seasonal contradiction of its celebration away from Holy Week. However, it is a convenient way of embodying this great and terrible feast, and I do hope you will join me in singing, proclaiming, and living this central mystery of our faith today.

Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ was lifted high upon the cross that he might draw the whole world unto himself: Mercifully grant that we, who glory in the mystery of our redemption, may have grace to take up our cross and follow him; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

Maxine King

Here is a recording for the Arnerio setting of Christus factus est that the St Philip's choir sang yesterday: https://open.spotify.com/track/6Vbp9uEuBNMgWzo79NAEJL?si=99zkSdh4Rqy2lLii0gDvgw
Here is a recording of the original plainsong setting of Christus factus est used for the Gradual on Maundy Thursday as well as the conclusion of Tenebrae each day of the Triduum. At Tenebrae on Maundy Thursday it is sung only through "Christ, for our sake, became obedient unto death." On Good Friday "Even the death of the cross" is added, and on Holy Saturday "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a Name which is above every name." is added, with the text sung entire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv0KTNxEuFE