SERMON FOR THE FEAST OF THE MOST HOLY AND LIFE-GIVING CROSS OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST

The Most Holy and Life-Giving Cross, The Tree of Life for All Creation, Byzantine-Era Mosaic Icon from the Apse of the San Clemente Basilica, Rome

By Bp. Joseph (Ancient Church of the West)

Beloved in Christ, today we gather to celebrate the Feast of the Most Holy and Life-Giving Cross of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This day is set apart to honor the victory of Christ’s Cross over sin and death and to recall its exaltation by the Church through the centuries. It is a day when we are called to meditate on the great mystery of the Cross, which St. Paul tells us is "foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (1 Corinthians 1:18). The Cross, which for so many seems a sign of defeat, is for us the very symbol of victory, of life from death, and hope from despair.

As St. John Chrysostom reminds us, “The Cross destroyed the enmity of God toward man, brought about reconciliation, made the earth heaven, opened the gates of heaven, made enemies into friends: this Cross is the will of the Father, the glory of the Only-Begotten, the joy of the Spirit, the ornament of the angels, the safeguard of the Church.”

THE VICTORY OF THE CROSS

This feast calls to mind the great historical events surrounding the discovery and veneration of the True Cross. In the early 4th century, under the reign of the Emperor Constantine, the sign of the Cross was revealed to him in a vision before the decisive Battle of the Milvian Bridge. It is said that he saw the Cross in the heavens, accompanied by the words, “In this sign, conquer.” And conquer he did, with the Cross of Christ leading his armies. Later, his pious mother, St. Helen, was moved to travel to Jerusalem to seek the True Cross, which had been buried and forgotten. Her discovery of this most sacred relic was a moment of great triumph for the Church, affirming that the Cross, once an instrument of torture, was now the very means of our salvation.

St. Cyril of Jerusalem teaches us that “The Cross is the glory of the angels and the defeat of the demons. By the Cross, the Lord established His kingdom over death, and the Cross is our invincible weapon, the foundation of peace and the harbor of our salvation.”

This triumph was further challenged in later centuries when the Persian Empire sought to seize control of Jerusalem and took the True Cross as a spoil of war. Yet, through God’s providence and the perseverance of the faithful, the Cross was returned to the Church, becoming not only a symbol of victory over sin but a rallying point for Christians in both East and West.

THE UNIVERSAL WITNESS OF THE CROSS

We rejoice, too, that the True Cross, having been found and restored, was divided and spread to Christian churches throughout the world, so that all the faithful might be blessed by its presence. These relics, large and small, serve as visible reminders of the power of Christ’s Passion and as beacons of hope in the midst of a world that so often seeks to obscure the light of Christ. The Cross now stands as a bastion of our Holy Orthodox Faith, shared by Christians of every nation and bearing witness to the power of God’s love.

As St. Ephrem the Syrian beautifully said, “The Cross is the key to paradise; it is the strength of the faithful and the defeat of the adversaries. O Lord, we who glory in Thy Cross beseech Thee: by the power of Thy Cross, raise us up!”

As St. Paul declares, "God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Galatians 6:14). In this, we are reminded that our boast is not in our own accomplishments, but in the sacrifice of our Savior, who "humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross" (Philippians 2:8). It is through His humility, His suffering, and His death that the Cross has become for us the path to life and the assurance of our salvation.

THE POWER OF THE CROSS

What does this mean for us, dear brothers and sisters? It means that the Cross is not only a historical event or an ancient relic; it is alive and active in the Church today. Through the Cross, we are reconciled to God. Through the Cross, we are strengthened in our trials. And through the Cross, we are called to a life of sacrificial love. Just as Constantine was led to victory by the Cross, so too are we led to victory in our spiritual battles by clinging to the Cross of Christ.

As St. Athanasius wrote, “By the sign of the Cross, all magic is stayed, all sorcery confounded, all idols abandoned and despised. Through the Cross, man learns the truth, and the grace of Christ shines brightly for all.”

Isaiah’s prophecy of the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 52:13-53:12) reminds us of the depth of Christ’s love and the extent of His sacrifice. He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, and by His stripes, we are healed. This same Cross stands as a symbol of our redemption and as an invitation for us to take up our own crosses daily and follow Him.

As we venerate the Cross today, let us remember that it is not merely a symbol but the instrument through which Christ brought about our salvation. Let us, like the saints of old, glory in it, cherish it, and allow its power to transform our lives.

THE HYMNS OF THE CROSS

In our hymns, we sing:

O Lord, save Thy people and bless Thine inheritance. Grant victory to the Orthodox Christians over their adversaries, and by the power of Thy Cross preserve Thy habitation.

The Cross, which once seemed like a tool of defeat, is now our weapon of peace. It is the banner under which the Church marches forward, knowing that in the sign of the Cross, there is victory.

And so, we cry out with the hymn, "The Royal Banners Forward Go":

The royal banners forward go, 

The cross shines forth in mystic glow, 

Where He in flesh, our flesh who made, 

Our sentence bore, our ransom paid.

SUMMARY 

In the Gospel of John, we hear the powerful declaration: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). The Cross is the ultimate expression of God’s love for us, and through it, He offers us the gift of eternal life.

Let us also reflect on Philippians 2:5-11, where St. Paul invites us to adopt the mind of Christ, who "humbled Himself" and was "exalted" through the Cross. This is the path we are called to follow, humbling ourselves before God and trusting that, through the Cross, He will exalt us in His time.

THE COLLECT

ALMIGHTY AND MOST MERCIFUL GOD, Who didst reveal to Thy servant Constantine the sign of the most Holy and Life-Giving Cross, and by the devotion of Saint Helen didst restore unto Thy Church the instrument of our salvation: Grant, we beseech Thee, that we, who rejoice in the victory of Christ's Cross over the powers of darkness, may evermore be strengthened by its presence, upheld by its witness, and defended by its power. We give thanks for the faithful partition of this most sacred relic among the nations, that it may stand as a bastion of the Orthodox Faith in all lands, a sign of Thy triumph and our hope. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.