Mid-Lent Sunday: Celebrating the Adoration of the Cross

The third Sunday of Great Lent, also known as Mid-Lent Sunday or the Sunday of the Adoration of the Cross, is celebrated exactly 28 days before Easter. This year, it falls on March 23, 2025. On this special day, the Church honors the Cross, a powerful symbol of Christian faith, marking the midpoint of the Great Fast. The Church places the Cross of Christ at the forefront to empower believers to continue their spiritual struggle and maintain the strict fast leading up to Easter. The Cross serves as a reminder that after Golgotha and the Crucifixion comes the Resurrection, offering comfort and hope to the faithful as they approach Holy Week. During the morning service, the priest exits through the northern door of the sanctuary, holding the Cross above his head on a decorated disk adorned with flowers (violets and frankincense) and three lit candles symbolizing the Trinity. The procession circles the table in the center of the church three times before placing the Cross for veneration. Following the incensing of the Cross, the priest kneels first to venerate it, reciting the hymn ‘We worship Your Cross, O Lord, and we glorify Your holy Resurrection.’ Then, the chanters and congregation approach reverently to venerate the Cross. In the Gospel reading of this Sunday, Christ’s command echoes: ‘Whoever wishes to follow me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me’ (Mark 8:34). This calls believers to face life’s challenges with patience and unwavering faith. The Cross remains in the center of the church throughout the week, allowing for its veneration after every service. At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, the priest distributes small crosses as a blessing, which are kept in homes like the flowers from Good Friday. Additionally, according to a decision by the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece, the Third Week of Lent is dedicated to celebrating Priestly Vocations, emphasizing the importance of God’s call in the mystery of priesthood.