Every year, on May 7, the Church of Jerusalem relives with profound devotion the memory of the Finding of the Holy Cross, an event that, according to Christian tradition, saw Saint Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine, find in the 4th century the wood on which the Lord was crucified, kept near Calvary in the ancient cistern that today is located inside the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher.

The liturgical feast, also known as Inventio Crucis or Finding of the True Cross, is among the most heartfelt in the Holy Land, and, unlike what happens in most Churches after the liturgical reform of 1969, in Jerusalem it continues to be celebrated on its traditional date of May 7, in close connection with the events and places linked to the Passion, death, and Resurrection of Christ.

After months marked by reduced celebrations due to the conflict that began last February 28, this year the friars of the Custody of the Holy Land were able to return to living the solemnity with liturgical fullness.

For the first time in this difficult period, the Custos, Fr. Francesco Ielpo, was able to receive all the honors provided by the liturgical protocol for solemnities at the Basilica, restoring to the feast the dignity and solemnity that belong to it.

The celebration was divided into two days rich in faith and prayer, marking a significant recovery of spiritual life at the Holy Sepulcher.

The feast began on the evening of the previous day, with a solemn procession of the friars through the corridors of the Basilica which, although still affected by restoration work for the laying of the new pavement stones, welcomed the songs and gestures of piety with recollection.

The procession headed towards the Chapel of Saint Helena, the place where tradition places the finding of the Cross.

Here, the environment solemnly decorated served as a frame for the sung Vespers, celebrated with great participation.

At the end of Vespers, the procession continued towards Calvary, up to the Tomb of Christ, in a pilgrimage that united the mysteries of the Passion with the memory of the finding of the Cross.

In the heart of the night, the friars continued in prayer in the Chapel of the Finding, offering to the few present a time of intense contemplation.

The following morning, in the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher, the solemn mass was presided over by the Custos, Fr. Francesco Ielpo.

In his homily, Fr. Ielpo offered a meditation on the passage from the Book of Numbers that tells of the episode of the poisonous snakes and the salvation given to those who raised their gaze towards the uplifted serpent.

In a suggestive way he recalled how "every time our projects distance themselves from God's promises", our own stubbornness can turn into snakes that poison the heart. Only by returning to fix our gaze on Christ crucified, the Custos reminded, can we find salvation and full life in his merciful love.

At the end of the Eucharist, a solemn procession around the tomb of Christ led the many religious and faithful present to kneel devotedly three times before the relic of the Holy Cross to receive a triple blessing imparted by the Custos of the Holy Land: in front of the tomb, in front of the altar of the Magdalene, and in the chapel of the Blessed Sacrament of the friars of the Custody.

The solemnity of the Finding of the Holy Cross is not only a memory of a historical fact linked to the discovery of the relic, but is above all an invitation to constantly look to Christ Crucified and Risen. In this unique feast in the world, celebrated at the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher, the crossroads of the Christian faith, the faithful are called to contemplate the mystery of the Cross as a source of hope, conversion, and salvation.