Thursday, March 24, 2011

THIRD SUNDAY OF the holy LENT: VENERATION OF THE PRECIOUS CROSS





(Mark 8:34), "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."

"Take up thy cross and follow me" mean to get started your journey to the direction of the salvation. Where the cross is the door which leads to the Christ who is the way, the true and the life

On the Third Sunday of Great Lent, we venerate of the Life-saving the Cross
And for this reason:
 where in the forty days of fasting we try to crucify ourselves and test the bitter, but in the way  the Cross who is the source of the power will providing to our spirits the divine light   and assurance, for remembrance of our Lord's
 Like those who are walking in a long way and tedious path are tired, and they found a great tree beside Spring of fresh water its good to restore the power which we had lost in the way in order to continue the journey. As same as today, in the time of fasting where difficult journey and effort, but in that location we are quite tiring, tedious, we find that the Cross awaiting for giving us the light and the power of the spirit supporting us in our holy journey to the resurrection

St. John Chrysostom, a fourth century Patriarch of Constantinople describes the Cross this way: "The Cross is the proof of the love of God. The Cross is the unshaken wall, the unconquered weapon, the Kingdom of virtue. The Cross has torn asunder our mortgage and rendered useless the prison of death. The Cross has opened Paradise, it has admitted the thief and has guided the human race from impending disaster to the Kingdom of God."

I ask for you the blessing and the power of the holy cross



Editor: υπο-διάκονος. Camill Tannous
Orthodox Christianity for Theological Research and Patrimony of church
 www.christ-prayer.org