Prologue in Sermons: September 14

 

The Four-Pointed Cross Is Not the Roman Cross and the Seal of the Antichrist

ADMONITION TO PARISHIONERS LIVING AMONG SCHISMATICS

September 14

(The Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev 

The Greek Emperor Constantine, when he was still a pagan, once went to war against the Emperor Maxentius. On the way to Rome, Constantine was struck by an unusual phenomenon. In the middle of the day, he and those with him saw a cross in the sky made up of stars, at the top of which were the words: "BY THIS CONQUER." Constantine and his soldiers were afraid, because for pagans at that time, seeing a cross was considered a misfortune. But that same night, the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to Constantine, ordered crosses to be made on all weapons and said that he would defeat Maxentius. Constantine made crosses and defeated Maxentius. 

Constantine's mother, Empress Helena, who was already a Christian at that time, attributing her son's victory solely to the help of the Lord, wished in gratitude for it to visit Jerusalem and, if possible, to find there the cross on which the Savior was crucified. And she came to Jerusalem, asked, inquired about the Cross of the Lord, but no one knew anything about it. Finally, only from an elderly Jew named Judas, did she learn that the Cross of the Lord was buried in the ground under a pagan temple, or pagan shrine. The shrine was torn down, and three crosses were found in the ground beneath it. How could one know which was the Cross of Christ? A dead girl was being carried past the place where the crosses were being examined. And so the crosses were placed on her. They placed one cross - nothing; they placed another - also nothing; but as soon as they placed the third, the dead woman immediately rose from the dead. Then everyone knew which Cross was the Lord's, and they began to bow down to it and kiss it. There were many people: everyone wanted to see the Cross of the Lord, but not everyone could. Then Patriarch Makarios took it, went up with it to an elevated place and began to raise or elevate the Cross over their heads. The people fell to the ground, prayed and cried. The fact that Patriarch Makarios raised or elevated the Cross over his head is why the feast is known as that of the Exaltation. 

Now we ask you, brethren: how many ends did the Cross have that was found in Jerusalem by Empress Helen? If we assume that the Cross was found to be eight-pointed, how could there have been any doubt about which of the three found crosses was the Cross of the Lord? An octagonal Cross would have a board and a base; and the board would not take a moment to cast doubt on the authenticity of the Cross of Christ. Therefore, it must be agreed that the Cross of the Lord was either four-pointed or six-pointed. However, we see that this Cross resurrects a deceased maiden; Christians pray before it, kiss it, and venerate it with reverence, and the Patriarch shows it to the people as the true Cross of the Lord. What will the schismatics now say about this, who not only reject the four-pointed cross, but often do not hesitate to call it the Roman cross or the mark of the Antichrists in their madness? They sin, brethren, in this case and are grievously mistaken. Consider the following words of ours, and you will be convinced of the falsehood of the schismatics.

1. It is known that the four ends of the eight-pointed cross consist of a board, on which was written the inscription I.N.R.I., and a base. When the Lord went to suffer, did He carry His cross with a board and a base? Obviously, without them; for the board and the base were nailed when He was crucified. So concerning the board the Evangelists say, after the crucifixion, as the Evangelist Matthew narrates, "And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him: This is Jesus the King of the Jews" (Matt. 27:37). "And it was the third hour," says Mark, "and they crucified Him. And the writing of His accusation was written: King of the Jews" (Mark 15:26). The same is confirmed by the Evangelists Luke (Luke 23:38) and John (John 19:19 et seq). So, it is certain that, going to the Passion, the Lord carried a four-pointed cross. But this same cross is called by the same four Evangelists even before the crucifixion not the Roman cross, and not the seal of the Antichrist, but directly a cross and, what is more, even the Cross of Christ. "And as they went out they found a man of Cyrene named Simon, and this man was destined to bear his cross" (Matt. 27:32), says the Evangelist Matthew, and the same thing by the Evangelists Mark and Luke (Mark 15:21; Luke 23:26).

2. Many of the Old Testament events were a prototype of the Cross of Christ, and in some of them one can clearly see the likeness of a four-pointed cross. For example, in the fact that before the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, Moses struck and divided the sea in the form of a cross, the Holy Fathers see a likeness of a cross and, of course, a four-pointed cross. When, during their wanderings in the desert, the Jews were killed by deadly snakes as punishment for their murmuring against God, then, at the prayer of Moses, the Lord commanded that a copper snake be erected on his staff. Those wounded by natural snakes, looking with faith at this snake, received healing. This snake was a prototype of the Cross of Christ and formed a four-pointed cross. When the Amalekites attacked the Jews, Moses went up to a nearby mountain with Aaron and Or, and prayed with raised hands. In the position of Moses, with his arms outstretched in the form of a cross, a cross is visible. What kind of cross? Of course, a four-pointed one.

3. The Holy Fathers, finally, point out the image of the cross in a man with outstretched arms, in a flying bird, in the four corners of the world, and it is clear that the image of the cross is four-pointed. And we ourselves, making the sign of the cross on ourselves, also depict a cross. What kind of cross? Again, obviously, also four-pointed.

Thus, the undoubted truth is that the schismatics are cruelly mistaken and sin in blaspheming and rejecting the four-pointed cross. They sin because, placing hope in the eight-pointed cross alone, they think to place their salvation as if in the substance of the Cross, and not in the One who was crucified on it. They sin because they forget that it was not the cross itself that saved people from eternal destruction, but Christ our God who suffered on the Cross. Finally, they sin because, not knowing the true history of the Cross of Christ and the teaching of the Church Fathers about it, they lay vain reproaches and blasphemy against the Church of God for the teaching about the Cross.

Flee, then, brethren, as from fire, from wolves in sheep's clothing and blasphemers of the Holy Church, who, perishing themselves, drag you also into eternal torment. "Do not be," according to the word of the Apostle, "children, tossed about by every wind of doctrine, by the lies of men and by the cunning of the wiles of deceit" (Eph. 4:14). And reject filthy and old wives' fables. Amen.

 

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.