REV. FR. ANASTASIOS BOURANTAS
St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral
Philadelphia, PA
“For the Cross is the salvation of the Church; the Cross is the boast of those who hope in it; the Cross is reconciliation of enemies to God and conversion of sinners to Christ.”
— St. John Chrysostom
In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit—when we hear those words, our first inclination as Orthodox Christians is to cross ourselves. The cross is the “sign” that we understand and accept that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was indeed crucified. The symbol of the cross—originally meant to identify severe punishment for criminals—became a symbol of hope and life after our Lord’s Resurrection. When we wear our cross, when we cross ourselves and honor the Cross on the Third Sunday of Lent, we proclaim our faith as Orthodox Christians.
The cross also teaches us that throughout life, there are many challenges that we face. Within those challenges, we can persevere and learn from that which has become difficult to bear; we can realize that through the storms of life, we have the example of Christ, He that endured the crucifixion, the scourging, the crown of thorns, and the piercing. He showed us that we can overcome all things if we have faith. As Jesus had faith in God the Father, we too must have faith that our crucified and risen Lord will accompany us on our journey of life.
In this midpoint of Great Lent, let us remain strong in our faith, by participating in the liturgical life of our blessed Orthodox Church, continuing our fasting, and most of all, let us be mindful of our sisters and brothers all over the world, who struggle and carry their cross for our Lord. May we have a blessed Resurrection!
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