Exaltation of Cross Skit

 

For the feast of the Cross on September 14, our classes have enjoyed putting on a skit re-enacting how St Helen found the Cross of Christ. It does not need much planning ahead of time, and most items you have at home!

You'll need:

• An icon of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
• Dark blanket for the earth/dirt
• Three large crosses cut from cardboard
• One shovel or more, plastic from sandbox will do
• A crown for St Helen, colored paper taped round
• If you choose, second crown for St Konstantine
• A Bishops' garment -drape a cloth around the neck and pin
• Fresh basil, found at site of buried crosses
• Extra: a cardboard coffin / tomb

Assign the parts:

• St Helen and her entourage on the pilgrimage to Jerusalem...those who will dig!
  St Konstantine, her son the King, who was not present actually, but part of history
• Jude, the secret Jewish man, who helped find the way to Golgotha
• A child for the corpse in funeral passing by
• Bishop Makarios, Archbishop of Jerusalem, who will exalt the Cross and lead the procession
• The rest of the class are the faithful believers following the procession!

I narrate and pause for the kids to enact what I state from the story which can be found in many places online (here) or (here)  or (here).


Main points:

• St Helen begins pilgrimage
• Stops to ask Jude for directions
• Finds Golgotha, where crosses are hidden under basil & blanket
• Begin digging
• Finds first cross
• Finds second cross
• Finds third cross
• Places Crosses over corpse of passing funeral. Nothing happens at first two.
• Third cross raises the corpse back to life!
• Bishop exalts the Cross, begins procession to Jerusalem, get everyone walking! Journey to another part of your parish into the Sanctuary if you can!
• All involved chant and venerate the Cross.

 The story varies a bit on who actually was healed on the third cross, we enact the corpse passing by in a funeral. At the end, we all chant together "Son son Kurie" or the Troparian for the feasts. We also, naturally, venerate the Cross, and discuss/identify the icon.


**Note: this feast is always a strict fast day**