The feast day of the Holy Cross inspires us, knowing that the Cross is our symbol of victory and our weapon of peace. Yes, creation gets to participate in our salvation. The tree that was offered to become the Cross becomes the means by which we are saved! No wonder our church asks us to pause and honor the Cross with two major feast days: on September 14th at the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, and mid-way through Lent on the Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross. Through the death of Jesus on that Cross, the greatest evil—death itself—was destroyed!
Before the Cross, the devil believed death was his greatest weapon, and the cross stood as the supreme symbol of violence. All who died would enter his dark and isolating kingdom. Yet when Jesus descended to Hades to save us, the devil trembled. The cross had been a weapon of evil and an instrument of death serving hell itself. But Jesus reversed this order completely! The Cross became our weapon and our means to salvation, opening the path to life!
One of the morning hymns for the feast of the Holy Cross describes the devil trembling when he sees Christ himself enter into Hades, crying out, "My spirit trembles, and now I must cast out Adam and his posterity. A tree brought them to my realm, but now the tree of the Cross brings them back again to paradise."
The Journey to Paradise
And our destination on the Lenten journey is paradise!
If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and lose his soul? —Mark 8:34–36
If we are to continue our journey toward union with our Lord's Resurrection and entry into paradise, we must deny ourselves anything that keeps us from Jesus.
Anything that distracts us from His peace or clouds our minds must be denied. We are invited to know and love Christ more deeply, making Him the core of our life. We are called to take up our cross with joy, respect, and true faith, knowing Jesus is the victorious One.
We Christians place our trophy—the victory symbol of our faith, the Cross—in our churches, in our homes, in our cars. We continually make the sign of the Cross and wear a Cross around our neck. For us, the Cross is not merely a decoration but has become the embodiment of love, joy, hope, and peace.
The Cross Reminds Us of God’s Love!
The Cross reminds us of God’s love.
“God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him will not perish but will have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
“What greater love is there than to lay down your life for others?” (John 15:13)
The Creator of the universe gave His life so we can have it in abundance!!
The Cross Reminds Us of God’s Joy!
The Cross reminds us of joy—the joy of paradise, the Kingdom. We start the liturgy with "Blessed is the kingdom of the Father and Son and the Holy Spirit." Many hymns of our church recall how Adam and Eve were sent out of paradise because of a tree. They ate fruit from the forbidden tree. Yet it is also a tree—the Cross—that has opened the doors of paradise for all believers.
The Cross Reminds Us of God’s Hope!
The Cross reminds us of hope, a hope that is greater than the darkest despair. When Jesus was crucified, his disciples and followers all despaired. They had abandoned Jesus. They had betrayed him and denied Him. They had placed all their hope in Him, and for three days they lived in complete despair and grief. And yet, after the resurrection, they understood the Cross in a new way. It was no longer a symbol of despair, but was now a sign of hope for all people, a hope for new life in the Lord!
The Cross Reminds Us of God’s Peace!
Finally, the Cross reminds us that peace is the result of a life in Christ. True peace is not found in the absence of suffering, but in inviting Jesus to meet us in our suffering. It is allowing the presence of Christ—who bears our burdens and grants us His perfect rest—to transform and heal us from the inside out.
By being mindful of the Cross and often making the sign of the Cross, and venerating it, and living in its spirit, we transform our daily struggles into opportunities for grace and growth in Christ! Remember, the Cross is not just an event of the past or symbol. The Cross is our guiding light that gives us the strength to walk with Jesus today.
So let us deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus!!
Wishing you a blessed Lenten Journey!
+Fr. Tom
Originally published in the Holy Apostles E-bulletin. Subscribe here.
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