Homily One on the Sunday of the Cross: The Cross is the Banner of the Savior’s Love for People

 

Homily One on the Sunday of the Cross

The Cross is the Banner of the Savior’s Love for People

By Archimandrite Kirill (Pavlov)

(Delivered in 1963)

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (Jn. 15:13).

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!

Beloved brothers and sisters, the Holy Church like a loving mother tenderly cares for our salvation, considering all our human weaknesses and striving to strengthen us with grace during our moments of weakness. The remembrance of Christ’s Cross, our bowing down before it and venerating it, are for the Christian the greatest consolation in all sorrows and tribulations, and it especially protect him from evil spirits on all the paths of his moral life. Such is the power of the Life-Creating Cross of Christ. Therefore, now at this mid-feast of the Great Fast, when the strugglers’ strength is waning and Christians are weary, the Church has appointed that the Cross be brought out to the center of the holy church for veneration and contemplation. It is brought out so that gazing upon it with reverence and venerating it, we might draw from the holy Cross cheerful strength of spirit, and go forth to complete the greatly laborious but greatly beneficial time of Great Lent.

Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross (George Mantzarides)

By Professor George Mantzarides

In the middle of the time of Great Lent, we have the Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross. The rubrics for the day begin as follows: "Since we, too, are, in a sense, crucified through the forty-day fast, mortified by the passions…the honorable and life-giving Cross is brought forward as though elevating and supporting us."[1]

Christ’s Cross, which we venerate on this Sunday, isn’t to be found only in the middle of Great Lent, but informs the whole of the period. It’s immanent in the whole of the history of God’s providence for our salvation. Last Sunday, we celebrated Saint Gregory Palamas, who had this to say on the subject: Christ’s Cross "was foretold and foreshadowed from ancient times and no one has ever been reconciled to God except through the power of the Cross."[2]

Discourse on the Honorable and Life-Giving Cross (St. Joseph the Confessor)

By St. Joseph the Confessor (+ 832)

a) Today is the feast of the Cross; let the choirs of angels rejoice. The Cross appears; let the whole congregation of the Church reverence it. The divine power of the Cross is elevated; let the hosts of demons be put to flight. But, divine cross, the inexpressible spectacle of the angels, the boast of the faithful, the royal sceptre - I speak to you as though you were a living thing - you, of course, have brought to us the joyful tidings of salvation. Through you, the barred gates of Paradise have been opened again.

Through you, the authority and power of death have been abolished, Hell has been stripped, the dead have come back to life, the robber rejoices and is glad in Paradise, the earthly has been united with the heavenly.  Through you we’ve learned the truth, we’ve been given the baptism of rebirth, people have been granted forgiveness of their sins, we’ve received the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Through you, churches are sanctified and become temples of God, we enjoy the Body and Blood of Christ, we become worthy of being children of God and heirs to the Kingdom of Heaven. Through you, our holy feasts and festivals are full of divine joy and Godly light. What tongue is able to describe how many and of what kind are the gifts that Christ, the true God, has made to the human race?

On the Veneration of the Holy Cross (St. John of Damascus)

By St. John of Damascus

"For the message of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (1 Corinthians 1:18).For he that is spiritual judges all things, but the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit. For it is foolishness to those who do not receive in faith and who do not consider God's goodness and omnipotence, but search out divine things with human and natural reasonings. For all the things that are of God are above nature and reason and conception. For should any one consider how and for what purpose God brought all things out of nothing and into being, and aim at arriving at that by natural reasonings, he fails to comprehend it. For knowledge of this kind belongs to spirits and demons. But if any one, under the guidance of faith, should consider the divine goodness and omnipotence and truth and wisdom and justice, he will find all things smooth and even, and the way straight. "But without faith it is impossible to be saved" (Hebrews 11:6). For it is by faith that all things, both human and spiritual, are sustained. For without faith neither does the farmer cut his furrow, nor does the merchant commit his life to the raging waves of the sea on a small piece of wood, nor are marriages contracted nor any other step in life taken. By faith we consider that all things were brought out of nothing into being by God's power. And we direct all things, both divine and human, by faith. Further, faith is assent free from all meddlesome inquisitiveness.

April 6 - Three Historic Events Greeks Remember on This Day

 

April 6, 1836: Martyrdom of the Holy Five New Martyrs of Samothrace

When the Holy Five New Martyrs were captives they were sold into slavery by the Turks, after being forced to convert to Islam. A few years later, the five returned to Samothrace and publicly renounced their conversion to Islam and embraced Orthodox Christianity once again. For this, an order was issued for their execution.

The martyrdom of the Holy Five New Martyrs began in Makri. First up was the eldest, Michael, whom they began, in public view in the square of Makri, to cut him to pieces in front of his other four fellow martyric athletes (in order to "persuade" them to renounce Christ and embrace Islam) and in front of all the residents "for a lesson". The sight was disgusting. Residents strongly protested the barbaric and hideous spectacle.

On the Determination of the Date of the Celebration of Easter

By Metropolitan Nektarios of Hong Kong

In recent years, shortly before Easter, some American theologians (all respected) have appeared who write about determining the date of the celebration of Easter (Pascha) and insist that the celebration of the Jewish Passover has nothing to do with the "formula" of the First Ecumenical Synod.

I would gladly discuss the relevant topic on a scientific level with an exchange of arguments and opinions, but things took a different turn when articles with titles referring to "myths" began to appear.

So every time these opinions appear I will write the same comment expressing a different opinion.

And my opinion is supported by texts and the practice of the Church.

Questions and Answers on the Presanctified Liturgy - Part 5 (St. Symeon of Thessaloniki)

By St. Symeon, Archbishop of Thessaloniki

 

Question 59

 

Why is the Presanctified Liturgy not celebrated on other days of the year?

 

Answer

 

Presanctified should not be celebrated on days other than those established, because this has not been handed down to us. He who does contrary to what has been handed down is subject to the rule. “Keep,” says Paul, “the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle” (2 Thessalonians 2:15). The same must be observed regarding everything that has been handed down to us since the beginning.

 

 

On the Fight Against Temptations (Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov)

On the Fight Against Temptations

Archimandrite Kirill (Pavlov)

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!

Thanks be to the Lord God, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, that the Lord protects us, the Lord loves us. Two weeks of the Lenten season have already passed, two weeks since we here, in this holy place, met our salvation and were brought to repentance. During the days of Great Lent, the Holy Church offers us memories of the suffering of Christ to deepen our repentance, to become zealous for self-correction. For nothing is more conducive to sincere repentance than the remembrance of the passion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because it was nothing other than our sins that brought the God-man to the Cross, to death. And today, dear ones, you heard how the Holy Gospel painted for us a terrible picture of the terrible torment, suffering and death of the God-man, who for you and me accepted all these unbearable, severe sufferings and torments. The night that began for our Lord Jesus Christ with the sorrows of Gethsemane was terrible. Both the morning and the day of Friday were terrible... Yes, this night began for the God-man with terrible, severe temptations. First of all, He endured a cruel internal struggle with Himself, painful mental suffering, which was a foretaste of His torment and suffering on the cross. He grieved, He was horrified by the cup of His suffering. And this night ended with His initial suffering in the courtyard of the high priest Caiaphas. Friday morning and afternoon were already the morning and day of His most terrible suffering and His most humiliating, most painful death. But that night, dear ones, it was not only the Savior who was subjected to severe temptation. On that terrible night, His beloved disciples, the apostles, as well as His enemies were subjected to severe temptations. His disciples were faced with the question: either to conquer temptations and share the fate of their Divine teacher, that is, to accept suffering and death together with Him, or to succumb to fear and change their love for Him, to leave Him alone in the midst of sufferings, sorrows, and among His enemies.

The Example of Saint Mary of Egypt (Elder Ephraim of Arizona)

By Elder Ephraim of Arizona

We have innumerable shining examples of the repentance of people, who were far from God, who then returned and were not merely saved, but reached great measures of holiness.

What was Venerable Mary of Egypt? How many were there who like Venerable Mary had been sinful people, who then became saints afterwards! That is why no one should despair, but come with repentance to their spiritual father, who with his word can make the sinner reconcile with God, who can justify him instantly. "Whatever you loose on earth, will be loosed in heaven. The grace of the All-Holy Spirit has forgiven you and loosed you both in the present age and in the future." Automatically in God's "computer" there are zero sins and at the same time the gate of the Kingdom of Heaven opens. The Bridal-Chamber of Christ accepts the human being, the one who previously did not have the soul's garment made bright.

For this great compassion of God, let us thank Him, let us venerate Him with all the gratitude of our souls. If God were not so infinitely compassionate, none would be saved.

From The Art of Salvation. Translation by John Sanidopoulos.