The Life-Giving Cross of the Lord

A Sermon on the Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross

Since the Cross of the Lord now lies before our eyes for reverent veneration and kissing—the Cross whose power is so often glorified in the Church’s prayers and hymns—I want, beloved, to say to you today a few words about its power, or about its wonders. Intending to speak of this, I—on the one hand—see its wonder-working power everywhere and do not know where to stop, what instance to choose as an example of the life-giving power of the Cross; I also see that great reverence which people of ancient times paid to the life-giving Cross; on the other hand—alas!—I see very few instances of its power among the people of our own time—and right away I see the reason why it manifests so little of its wonder-working power: precisely that for which the Lord worked few wonders in His own homeland—that is, because of ignorance, because of the lawless, un-Christian life of Christians. So then, beloved brethren, the history of the Christian Church presents very many instances of the wonder-working power of the Cross—because there was more faith among people then, more true Christians; even now the life-giving Cross is gloriously extolled, but now we see far fewer examples of its wonder-working power—namely, we see examples of its life-giving power only in those few people who live by faith.

The holy strugglers of Christ marveled at the constant, life-giving power of the Lord’s Cross at work in their lives—and in the humility of their hearts, fearing lest such a power abandon them, who were of themselves infirm and sinful, always surrounded by invisible enemies, and often by visible ones as well, they prayed only: invincible, incomprehensible, divine power of the precious and life-giving Cross, do not abandon us sinners[1]. With complete confidence in its wonder-working power, and in wonder at its power to drive away the invisible enemies, with gladness of heart they cried out to the Cross: Rejoice, most precious and life-giving Cross of the Lord, driving away the demons by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ Who was crucified on you… and Who has granted to us you, His precious Cross, for the driving away of every adversary… and without any doubt they spoke to it as to something alive: O most precious and life-giving Cross of the Lord! Help me, together with the Most Holy Lady the Virgin Theotokos and with all the saints, forever[2].

In spite of yourself, your heart is touched with compunction when you read with what praises they magnified the life-giving Cross: they called it the four-pointed power, the all-powerful Cross, the glory of the apostles, the strength of the martyrs, the stronghold of venerable monks, the health of the infirm, the resurrection of the dead, the setting right of those who fall, the putting to death of the passions, the banishment of unclean thoughts, the foundation of piety, the destroyer of demons, the ruin of ungodly people, the shaming of enemies on the dread day of judgment. As to one alive, they said to it: «Cross, be for me power, might, and dominion, my deliverer and my vanguard warrior against the enemies that war against me, a shield and a protector, my victory and my fortress, always preserving and sheltering me»[3].

In general, they called the image of the cross indescribable in its power—a consecration of the waters, a purification of the air, a sanctification and enlightenment for every faithful Christian, a sign of courage, and Christ’s scepter that tramples adversaries to the ground. Not knowing how worthily to glorify its power, they cry out: «Who can enumerate all your deeds, O cross, dear to the world—the powers and the wonders, and the raising of dead men by your power? You bore up with yourself the whole world—that is, the chosen Christians—when you yourself were borne up to God»[4].

Do you find, beloved, that the cross of the Lord is for you what it was for the holy men? No, I will answer for most of you… The cross works no miracles in your life. Why? Because of your unbelief. The cross is in itself always wondrous and life-giving. To Christians who remain faithful to it even now with their faith and reverence, it too is faithful, like the truest and most constant of friends. O, who would grant me godly zeal and the power of the word to awaken in the Christians of the present time a living faith and the reverence due to the cross and to the One crucified upon it! I know that many are inattentive to the cross and to the sign of the cross. At times this inattentiveness and lack of respect for the cross goes so far that people refuse to receive the servant of Christ who comes to their house with the cross and in the name of the cross; others are unwilling to make the sign of the cross upon their sinful bodies as they should, or they slight the priestly blessing, or the priests themselves slight it; at times this is done from inattentiveness, and at times—O horror! — out of a false, accursed shame. Can it be the cross, beloved, which is our glory and our boast, that you are ashamed of? I give you a timely warning: and the Son of Man will be ashamed of you when He comes in the glory of His Father with His holy angels[5].

Beloved! Let us always honor the cross of the Lord with faith and love: and it will be our friend, our savior not of itself, but by the power of the One crucified upon it. Amen