The Holy Cross
At the center of our Christian life is the sacrifice of the Cross when God the Father offered His Only Son for the salvation and redemption of mankind. As such the true meaning of the Cross is sacrificial love, from here comes its true power in the life of the believer.
With the sign of the living cross, seal all your doings, my son. Do not leave the door of your house till you have signed the cross. Whether in eating or in drinking, whether in sleeping or in waking, whether in your house or on the road, or again in the season of leisure, neglect not this sign; for there is no guardian like it. It shall be to you as a wall, in the forefront of all your doings. And teach this to your children, that heedfully they be conformed to it.
Saint John Chrysostom (c. 347-407) testifies to the manifestation of the Holy Cross in the following words, “For since the wood of the cross was buried, because no one was careful to take it up, inasmuch as fear was pressing, and the believers were hurrying to their urgent matters, and since it was after times to be sought for, it was likely that three crosses would lie together. In order that the Lord’s might not be unknown, it was made manifest to all, first by its lying in the middle, and then by the title.” (Homily 85 on Saint John).
The Lord invited to bear the Cross and said: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34) And He said to the rich young man: “Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor… and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” (Mark 10:21) He made the bearing of the Cross a condition for the discipleship to Him.
Lord Jesus said: “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:27). He Himself, during all the period of His Incarnation on earth, lived bearing the Cross. Thus, we shall carry the cross of our Lord and live through Him in spirituality. The Holy Cross is our dignity, pride, peace and harmony. Though some enmity Jews had buried the Holy Cross in the garbage, it was the will of God to reveal the cross yet again through the work of miracle by Queen Helena,
The Feasts of the Cross commemorating the Holy Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified is celebrated twice a year during which the church conducts a joyful procession to the Cross. The first, is 17th of September, commemorating the consecration of the Church of the Resurrection (335 A.D) and the appearance of the Honorable Cross to the righteous Emperor Constantine the Great while he was at war (312 A.D.)
May God have mercy on us, Amen!