Today is the Third Sunday of Great Lent, the Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross. On this special day, the Holy Church brings the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord to the middle of the church so that the faithful, venerating it, may be fortified spiritually and gain strength to continue their path of spiritual correction and growth.

The Lord has said: 'Whoever desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.' These words are definitely hard to realise and fulfil, but there is no Christianity without them. The modern world tries to portray the cross as an absurdity while prompting man to live in pleasing himself and avoiding hardships, pain, and fear.
However, the cross is a reality facing us every day. It is all the trials, sorrows, and losses we are going through because of the sinful distortion of the world and each of us.

Venerating the Cross, we thank the Lord for His redeeming sacrifice — for His love reaching up to crucifixion and death. We remember not only the sufferings of the Saviour but also our personal responsibility; for every sin, every untrue or evil word, every manifestation of hatred, anguish of heart, cowardice, or betrayal becomes one more blow and a new wound to Christ.

The Cross is our judgment and our salvation, a sign of Divine love and forgiveness, strengthening on the earthly path, and the key to the gates of the Kingdom of God; and without the Cross, it is impossible to enter everlasting life. The Cross reminds that the path to Resurrection and Pascha passes through Golgotha, through our personal cross of life, which everyone has to accept and carry with humility.
People often run away from their crosses, fearing sufferings, dreading that they will fall out of the common stream and find themselves outcasts. Christ warned in the Gospel: hard trials and persecution would await true believers because the fallen world, mired in lies and enmity, cannot bear the Truth and the love of God. This is what the main reason for any enmity and hatred towards the Church is.

The path of a Christian is faith and faithfulness. The cross of Christ becomes easy for the meek and humble not because sufferings disappear but because we are united and the Lord is with us.

The Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross already includes the anticipation of Paschal joy. Venerating the Cross, we are strengthened in the feat of fasting, remembering that the Victory of Christ is ahead. According to an ecclesiastical hymn, "Rejoice, o Cross, bearer of life! Invincible weapon warring against demons, door into Paradise, hope of the faithful."

Dear brothers and sisters!
On these days, let us hearken to the voice of the Church, beholding the Crucified Lord, continuing our feasible path of fasting, and keeping our unity and faithfulness to the Holy Mother Church. May the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord strengthen us, our families, our country, and give peace and salvation.
Today is the Third Sunday of Great Lent, the Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross. On this special day, the Holy Church brings the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord to the middle of the church so that the faithful, venerating it, may be fortified spiritually and gain strength to continue their path of spiritual correction and growth.

The Lord has said: 'Whoever desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.' These words are definitely hard to realise and fulfil, but there is no Christianity without them. The modern world tries to portray the cross as an absurdity while prompting man to live in pleasing himself and avoiding hardships, pain, and fear.
However, the cross is a reality facing us every day. It is all the trials, sorrows, and losses we are going through because of the sinful distortion of the world and each of us.

Venerating the Cross, we thank the Lord for His redeeming sacrifice — for His love reaching up to crucifixion and death. We remember not only the sufferings of the Saviour but also our personal responsibility; for every sin, every untrue or evil word, every manifestation of hatred, anguish of heart, cowardice, or betrayal becomes one more blow and a new wound to Christ.

The Cross is our judgment and our salvation, a sign of Divine love and forgiveness, strengthening on the earthly path, and the key to the gates of the Kingdom of God; and without the Cross, it is impossible to enter everlasting life. The Cross reminds that the path to Resurrection and Pascha passes through Golgotha, through our personal cross of life, which everyone has to accept and carry with humility.
People often run away from their crosses, fearing sufferings, dreading that they will fall out of the common stream and find themselves outcasts. Christ warned in the Gospel: hard trials and persecution would await true believers because the fallen world, mired in lies and enmity, cannot bear the Truth and the love of God. This is what the main reason for any enmity and hatred towards the Church is.

The path of a Christian is faith and faithfulness. The cross of Christ becomes easy for the meek and humble not because sufferings disappear but because we are united and the Lord is with us.

The Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross already includes the anticipation of Paschal joy. Venerating the Cross, we are strengthened in the feat of fasting, remembering that the Victory of Christ is ahead. According to an ecclesiastical hymn, "Rejoice, o Cross, bearer of life! Invincible weapon warring against demons, door into Paradise, hope of the faithful."

Dear brothers and sisters!
On these days, let us hearken to the voice of the Church, beholding the Crucified Lord, continuing our feasible path of fasting, and keeping our unity and faithfulness to the Holy Mother Church. May the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord strengthen us, our families, our country, and give peace and salvation.