“Blessed be Thou, O Lord Jesus Christ, son of the living God!” exclaimed the Tsar, raising his hands toward Heaven, “merciful and charitable in saving us from the devil and the land of darkness and having built this church, nay, having brought Thy robe hither from the most holy city of Jerusalem to spare it from the hands of the Jews, who hath not acknowledged Thee and to hand it over to our care, to a foreign and strange nation, honoring and fearing Thee with all their heart!”
Immediately the church was begun, first commencing with the court. “Let the name of our Lord Jesus Christ be blessed,” said then Saint Nina, “and of God the Father, who hath sent His son, who leaving the all-shining heavenly regions, came down to earth, was without doubt born of the seed of David, of the branch of Joachim, of the most holy and most pure Virgin and her thou didst make the cause of our salvation, earthly enlightenment and glory of Thy people O Israel! Of her was born the God man, the light of all believing, the image of God, baptized with water and with the Holy Ghost, was crucified and interred, rose on the third day—going up to His Father, whither he comes with glory, for He is worthy of all glory, honor, and adoration, together with the Father and the Holy Ghost now, henceforth and evermore! Amen.”
When all were really and successfully baptized, the royal son Revv reminded them about the famous tree, which grew in the court and had a marvellous power to heal even the most desperate mortal wounds. It was noticed more than once that even the snakes, when wounded by mortal shots, if they ate the leaves of this tree or the buds falling from it, immediately were healed.
Having found out about this, Bishop John said: “This land was really and truly destined by God to have the holy faith introduced in it, and by His godly attention this marvellous tree grew up and was preserved to our days. Now, however, when the might of Christ had been spread all over Georgia, it does seem advisable to make a cross out of it, which will be an object of veneration for the whole country!”
And so, on Friday the twenty-fifth of March, three hundred and thirty A. D., the Tsarevitch Revv, together with the bishop and masses of people, set forth to cut down the tree, the branches of which, notwithstanding that it was in the winter season, were quite green. This tree was so beautiful that having cut it only slightly, one hundred men took it up in their arms together with its branches and leaves and carried it into the town, where they placed it near the church.
To the general astonishment it really kept its freshness and beauty during thirty-seven days, as though it had been replanted with a root or been constantly refreshed by living water. When, however, all the bushes were covered with leaves and the fruit trees with flowers, on the first of May, a Saturday, Tsar and people entered the church and with ardor and joyfulness made crosses out of it. The following day at sunrise a cross of stars descended from Heaven, and having let itself down to the church, seemed to have turned itself into a crown of stars which remained visible to the whole nation until sunset. Then two stars started forth from it: one flew towards the East and the other towards the West, while the cross, keeping its heavenly glitter and beauty, quietly directed itself to the spring which had been created by the tears of Saint Nina, and having gone up by the river Aragva to a stony plateau, rose to Heaven. As this vision repeated itself daily and was seen by all the people, the Tsar asked the Saint to explain its reason.
“Send thou,” she said, “into the highest mountains in the East and West, to follow up and watch the direction which the stars take and, there where they stop we shall each time erect a cross to glorify our Lord Jesus Christ!”
The Tsar lost no time in ordering guards placed on the summits of the mountains. This was on Friday, and Saturday, according to custom, at sunrise the wonder again repeated itself. The next day arrived the men who had been keeping guard on the Kvobtka-Tkavv, and said to the Tsar:
“The star stopped just above the mountain Tkkot and then went down into the Caspian Sea and disappeared.” But others who had also kept guard on the Keretk, said:
“We beheld a star which came straight to us and stopped in the village of Bode.” Thereupon Saint Nina said: