We are gathered today to celebrate the Festival of the Cross, which commemorates the discover of the “true” Cross of Christ. This occurred in the year 326 A.D by Queen Helena, the mother of Roman Emperor Constantine, during her pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The celebration is conducted via procession and exaltation of the Cross to the four corners of the earth in the Malankara Orthodox Church. Most Orthodox believers typically think of Holy Friday as the day that the Cross is glorified. In fact, Holy Friday is focused on the Passion of Christ, that is, Christ’s agony and suffering. That said, the Feast of the Cross is the actual day that the Orthodox Church celebrates the Cross as an instrument of salvation.
https://stlukemission.org/sermons/the-vertical-horizontal-experience