The Holy Cross: Instrument of Torture and Giver of Life

„Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and takeup  his cross, and follow me” (Mark 8.34)

Fr. Evans (audio): feasts-of-the-savior-exaltation-of-the-cross_2008-09-27

 

Other sermon on the Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross: 

http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/thearena/holy_cross_sept2010

The Holy Cross is recognized as one of the most important symbols of Christianity. In the past, Latins used to define the cross by the word “crux” and Greeks by the word “Stavros”, designating first the vertical pole – then the horizontal – on which those sentenced to death were crucified. This instrument of torture was consecrated by the precious blood of our Lord and  Savior Jesus Christ when He was crucified, thus becoming  for the Christian man a  holy and life-giving object. For the Orthodox Christian, the Holy Cross is both a symbol of human redemption and an object of worship. By this, we see and honor at once: the sacrifice of the Son of God and the wooden cross that our Lord was crucified on – as the Altar of His sacrifice. The sign of the cross is thus the sign of the “Son of Man” and of the Christian man. In making the sign of the cross over our body as a seal, we show our participation in Christ’s sanctifying sacrifice.

The Cross and its ancient origin

The sign of the cross was used as a sacred symbol in one form or another by many pagan peoples, long before the emergence of Christianity. In Paganism this symbol had mythical significance. According to the researchers, the cross had originated among the ancient Babylonians of Chaldea, and was used as a symbol of the pagan god Tammuz. Since the Bronze Era, the sign of the cross was used by many tribes in Europe as a symbol of consecration for the newborns. Also, the symbol of the cross was used among Aryan civilization as a representation of mystical light of the pagan gods or sacred fire and even the sun. The ancient scientists believed that the middle of the universe was where the earth meets the sky, and the four arms of the cross indicated the four cardinal points.

The Cross in the Old and the New Testament

The Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition give us evidence about the meaning of the Holy Cross, before and after the crucifixion of our Lord, the sign of the Holy Cross becoming a bookmark for the believing Christian.

The Holy Cross is represented in the Old Testament as the “tree of life” rising from the earth, the commandment of God in the midst of earthly paradise, together with the “tree of knowledge for good and evil” (cf. Genesis 2, 9) . “The Tree of Life” is the metaphorical name of the Holy Cross, a name that appears starting even with the first pages of the Holy Scripture. The cross is also portrayed in books of divine services, as well as in paintings.

Moses passed through the Red Sea the people of Israel by the power of the divine cross, freeing them from the Egyptian slavery. He raised the rod, and stretched out his hand across the sea, than the sea split in two as the Jews passed to the dry land. When the Egyptians entered the sea, Moses, by God’s commandment, stretched his hand with the rod again, and made the sign the opposite way. The waters closed together, and the Egyptians were drowned at sea (see Exodus 14, 21-27).

Moreover, the patriarchal blessing, that Jacob gave with his hands to the two sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, was a blessing with his hands crossed, prefiguring the Holy Cross – 1,500 years before Christ.

The New Testament shows, more explicitly than the Old Testament, the divine teachings about the importance of the Holy Cross.

The Holy Cross is the real and historical divine altar of Christianity; the altar on which Christ was “once sacrificed to raise many sins” (Hebrew 9, 28). The Cross is “the power of God” (I Cor. 1, 18) for those who desire to be saved, that is for those who believe. In the  divine power of the Cross, the Apostle Paul rejoiced despite his human sorrows and distress (cf. Gal. 6, 14). The Cross is “the divine seal” on the forehead of the faithful, seal by which they escape visible and invisible enemies and plagues.

In the New Testament, the Cross is also the sign of the Son of Man at His second coming. Christ himself told his disciples – wanting to know when the second coming and End of the world will be (cf. Matthew 24, 3) – that, among many signs that will appear in the sky, there will be one “sign of the Son of Man” (Matthew 23, 30),  – the Holy Cross.

The Cross in the Christian worship

Archaeological discoveries from Palestine have shown that the sign of the Cross has been used by the very first Christian community in Jerusalem. Among the first works – where the cross appears as a Christian symbol with mystical meanings related to human salvation brought by Christ’s crucifixion – is that of Minucius Felix: „Octavius”, written at the end of the second century.

Then the cross appears as a Christian symbol in the writings of St. Clement of Alexandria, when he speaks of the “sign of God”, which was foreshadowed by the letter number 318 from Genesis 14:14, as explained in the Epistle of Barnabas. For the number 300, the letter “T” has been used in the Hebrew alphabet, the similarity with the sign of the cross been obvious. For the letter “18” – the first two letters of the name “Jesus Christ” were used which shows the connection between Christ and the Cross.

Starting with the IV-th century AD, the veneration of the Holy Cross was generalized, manifesting itself publicly and officially entering the divine worship of the Church. To this have contributed the apparition in the sky of the „wonder sign of the cross”, by  which Constantine the Great was encouraged in the battle with Maxentiu. After his victory, Constantin the Great had placed it as an emblem on flags and other official documents and coins; and forbidden nailing to the cross those condemned to death.

Another miracle was the discovery the Cross of our Savior (in the year 326) in the place of His crucifixion.

St. Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great, built a large church on the site of our Lord’ tomb (the Holy Sepulcher church) and another church at the site of His crucifixion (Basilica of the Holy Cross) – consecrated on September 13, 335 – when the veneration of the Holy Cross entered the Christian worship.

Starting with 431 AD, the crosses have been placed in churches and plants, but the use of the crosses on domes did not appear until the year 586.
The Church’s teaching on the veneration of  Holy Cross was formulated by the VII Ecumenical council of Nicea (787) and completed by the local council of Constantinople (869), when it was proclaimed that the Holy icons, the Holy Gospel and the Holy Cross should be equally venerated.

In the Orthodox Church, the cult of the Holy Cross is manifested in celebrations dedicated to her. Of these we mention: the Elevation of the Holy Cross (the Day of the Cross or Carstov) on September 14, Sunday of the Cross (Third Sunday of the Great Lent), Procession with the Holy Cross (August 1) and the Apparition of the sign of the Holy Cross to Emperor Constantine the Great (May 7)

The Eastern tradition celebrates the Holy Cross in many prayers and hymns made in her honor and praise, being a divine sign, inexhaustible in its meaning and a source of vital power.

Please also see an older post with Metropolitan Kallistos: “Salvation in Christ, The Meaning of the Cross”

St. Nikolai Velimirovich, Lenten Meditations

Saint Nikolai’s life at:

St Nikolai of Zica

Saint of the Day: Nikolai_Velimirovich (audio)

 

 

Prayers by the Lake (text) at:

Bishop Velimirovich Prayers by the Lake of Ochrid

REFLECTION by St Nikolai Velimirovich

 Why do some people, well educated and baptized as Christians, fall away from Christianity and give themselves over to philosophy and to learned theories, pretending these to be something more truthful than Christianity? They do so for two principal reasons: either out of a totally superficial understanding of Christianity or because of sin. A superficial understanding of Christ rejects Him and flees from Christ as does a criminal from a judge. Superficial and sinful Christians were as often enraged and infuriated with Christianity as were the pagans. To the superficial and culpable, it was more comfortable for them to bathe in the shallow swamp of human thoughts than in the perilous depth of Christ. For those who sincerely follow Christ, He constantly calls them to a greater and greater depth; as He once said to the Apostle Peter, “Put out into deep water” (St. Luke 5:4). St. Mark the Ascetic writes that the law of God is understood in accordance with the fulfillment of the commandments of God: “Ignorance compels a person to speak in opposition to that which is beneficial and insolence multiplies vice.”

 

 

CONTEMPLATION

To contemplate the Mystery of Communion as a Mystery of the Perfection of Love:

1. Because on the part of Christ, it means giving completely of Himself to His faithful;

2. Because of this, Christ is received with faith and trust on the part of the faithful;

3. Because of this, it leads to the joyful, fruitful and saving union of God with man.

 

HOMILY: Traveling with Christ into the deep

“Put out into deep water” (St. Luke 5:4).This is how our Lord commanded Peter and the rest of the apostles “after He had finished speaking” (St. Luke 5:4). This means that He first gave instructions and immediately following that, He called them to action. This is also important for us. For as soon as we learn something from the Gospels, we immediately need to go out and implement it. The works of the disciple are dear to the Lord, not only the disciple. “Put out into deep water.” Along the shore, from the shallow waters, our Lord spoke to the people who were less enlightened in the mysteries of God’s Kingdom. He invited the apostles out into the deep. There is less danger in the shallow waters, but the catch is also smaller. In the shallow waters there are snakes, frogs and other lesser repulsive water creatures. That is all the danger. In shallow waters there are only small fish; that is the entire catch. But in the greater depths, the danger is also greater. There you have large sea creatures and great storms. That is dangerous.

But there are also much larger and better fish in enormous quantity; that is the catch. O, enlightened one, come therefore into the deep! “Put out into the deep” mysterious sea of life, but do not set out without Christ in your boat. By no means. You might spend the entire night of your life not catching anything, as Peter said, “We have toiled all night and have taken nothing” (St. Luke 4:5). Not only that, but you could face far worse if Christ is not in your boat. Perhaps the winds could carry you away and cast you into an abyss. Perhaps the monstrous and enormous beasts of the sea will consume you. The winds, O enlightened one, those are your own passions which accompany you unavoidably if you set out into the deep without Christ. The enormous and monstrous beasts of the sea are demons who, with the blinking of an eye, can destroy you as with the blinking of an eye “the herd of about two thousand swine rushed down a steep bank into the sea, where they were drowned” (St. Mark 5:13).

However, if you are going out with Christ into the deep, do not be afraid of anything; but go rejoice fully and courageously glued to Christ. You will lay hold of the best catch; and you will fill both boats with it, the physical and the spiritual. You will snare the best catch, O dedicated one, and, without any dangers, you will arrive to theshore, to the shore of the Kingdom of Christ. Nowhere without Christ! Neither in shallow places nor into the deep. In the shallow places you will become vexed by hunger and by many minor disgusts, but into the deep a greater evil will befall you.

O, my Almighty Savior, You are our Helmsman, our Defense, our Harbor.

(Taken from the “Prolog from Ochrid”, Lenten Meditations by St Nikolai Velimirovich)