In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Beloved in Christ, today on this Third Sunday of Great Lent, the Church brings forth the Precious and Life-giving Cross, placing it in our midst like a spring of refreshment in the desert of our fasting. As St. John of Damascus writes: “The Cross is planted in the midst of the Fast to strengthen us and make us take courage for the remaining struggle of the course.”
Let me share a story that illuminates this mystery. In the ancient monastery of Whitby, there lived a monk who was charged with tending a great Celtic cross that stood by the sea. Each morning in darkness, he would climb the cliff path with oil for the lamp that burned before it. One stormy night, a ship was foundering on the rocks. The sailors, having lost all hope, suddenly saw the cross’s light pierce through the darkness, showing them safe passage to harbour. What seemed a simple act of devotion became the means of salvation for others.
St. Ephrem the Syrian teaches us: “The Cross is the bridge over which we pass from death to life.” How profound that the Church plants this bridge at the midpoint of our Lenten journey! St. John Chrysostom explains: “As travellers, exhausted by a long journey, find strength in some shady tree to continue their journey with renewed vigour, so the faithful, having come to the middle of the Fast and feeling overwhelmed by their spiritual labours, find refreshment under the Life-giving Cross.”
Consider how our Lord Himself speaks of His Cross: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily.” St. Gregory Palamas notes: “The Cross we are called to bear is not mere suffering, but the voluntary acceptance of labour for the sake of love.” This transforms our Lenten struggles from mere deprivation into participation in Christ’s saving work.
The Church’s wisdom in placing this feast here is profound. St. Theodore the Studite explains: “Just as the Lord’s Cross was planted on Golgotha, so we plant it in the midst of our ascetic labour to show that our struggles are not our own but are empowered by His victory.” This is why we sing today: “Before Thy Cross, we bow down in worship, O Master, and Thy holy Resurrection, we glorify!”
St. Symeon the New Theologian reveals a deeper mystery: “The Cross is not merely wood adorned with gold, but the power of God that transforms our inner being.” When we venerate the Cross today, we’re not simply remembering a historical event, but participating in an eternal reality. As St. Isaac the Syrian writes: “Every time we bow before the Cross, we unite ourselves to Him who bowed the heavens to descend to us.”
The Cross reveals something essential about love. Maria Skobtsova, a Russian noblewoman, poet, nun, and member of the French Resistance during World War II who died in Ravensbrück concentration camp, wrote: “The way of the Cross is the way of love that takes on the suffering of others.” Our prostrations before the Cross today are meaningless if they do not lead us to bear one another’s burdens.
Consider how Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness. St. Cyril of Alexandria teaches: “The Cross of Christ is our staff in the desert of fasting. When we gaze upon it, the deadly bite of our passions loses its power.” This is why we keep the Cross enthroned until Friday – to constantly remind us of the love that sustains our struggle.
Let us therefore approach the Cross today with renewed understanding. Each prostration we make is both a participation in Christ’s kenosis – His self-emptying love – and a promise of resurrection. For as St. John of Kronstadt says: “Where the Cross is, there is the resurrection. There is no path to Easter except by way of Golgotha.”
The Cross stands in our midst today as both comfort and challenge. Comfort, because it assures us that Christ has sanctified all suffering through His own. Challenge, because it calls us to make our own fasting and prayer into a sacrifice of love for others.
Let us therefore bow down before the precious Cross, not just with our bodies but with our entire lives. For as St. Andrew of Crete proclaims: “The Cross is the door to mysteries, the staff of the lame, the guide of the blind, the strength of the weak, the crown of the victors, the hope of Christians.”
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Copyright © 2025 The Rev. Adrian Augustus. The Russian Orthodox Church of the Archangel Michael, Blacktown, NSW
