How Heavy is Your Cross?

This month we begin with the Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross.  When Western Christians observe us during the Veneration of the Cross of Christ they think it is very peculiar.  In Biblical Times, the cross was a symbol of horrible torture in public execution.  How could we honor something that symbolizes pain and suffering?  We as Orthodox venerate the cross as it is made anew by Christ into the ultimate instrument of salvation.  One of the differences of Western Christianity and Orthodoxy is that our Icons do not depict the gruesomeness of the Cross and Christ’s suffering but declare the King of Glory is on the cross.  We do not obsess over the Crucifixion but glorify the Resurrection.

We look to our own life and see that our own crosses can be heavy.  As we look around us, we see many people bearing crosses.  Does the world of crosses make sense? We as Orthodox say yes, but it is only that Christ who transforms and transfigures all our crosses. It is the fallen world that we live in that creates these crosses and without Christ’s Resurrection, it fails to allow for meaning of His salvation.  We have the crosses of this world press upon us and we must use them as the wake up call.  The crosses we face in this world would become the transforming instruments for our salvation if we could only let them.  We must use them for the realization that this world is fallen and bear them with faith, love, hope and prayer all in Christ and they will transform us.

St. Anthony the Great once said, “If it were not for the grain of sand that constantly irritated the oyster, it would never have produced a pearl.”

How heavy is your cross?  Is the weight bearing down too hard?  Does it crush you underneath it?  Look at the Cross of Christ; venerate it and redirect your mind, heart, body and soul towards Christ and your cross will be the instrument that transforms you in Christ.  “All things are possible to him who believes.” Mark 9:23

Learn from the vespers of the feast:

O mighty Cross of the Lord, manifest thyself: show me the divine vision of thy beauty, and grant me worthily to venerate thee. For I speak to thee and embrace thee as though thou wast alive.

Shine, Cross of the Lord, shine with the light of thy grace upon the hearts of those that honor thee. With love inspired by God, we embrace thee, O desire of all the world. Through thee our tears of sorrow have been wiped away: we have been delivered from the snares of death and have passed over to unending joy. Show us the glory of thy beauty and grant to us thy servants the reward of our abstinence, for we entreat with faith thy rich protection and great mercy.

Hail! life-giving Cross, the fair Paradise of the Church, Tree of incorruption that brings us the enjoyment of eternal glory: through thee the hosts of demons have been driven back; and the hierarchies of angels rejoice with one accord, as the congregations of the faithful keep the feast. Thou art an invincible weapon, an unbroken stronghold; thou art the victory of kings and the glory of priests. Grant us now to draw near to the Passion of Christ and to His Resurrection.

Hail! life-giving Cross, unconquerable trophy of the true faith, door to Paradise, succor of the faithful, rampart set about the Church. Through thee the curse is utterly destroyed, the power of death is swallowed up, and we are raised from earth to heaven: invincible weapon, adversary of demons, glory of martyrs, true ornament of holy monks, haven of salvation bestowing on the world great mercy.

Come, Adam and Eve, our first father and mother, who fell from the choir on high through the envy of the murderer of man, when of old with bitter pleasure ye tasted from the tree in Paradise. See, the Tree of the Cross, revered by all, draws near! Run with haste and embrace it joyfully, and cry to it with faith: O precious Cross, thou art our succor; partaking of thy fruit, we have gained incorruption; we are restored once more to Eden, and we have received great mercy.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages, Amen.

From the Great Vespers on Saturday Evening before the Third Sunday of Lent
The Adoration of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross

In Christ’s Love,

Fr Ted Toppses