The Power of Christ’s Cross

For behold, through the Cross, joy has come into all the world.

Participating fully in the Lenten disciplines is hard work! We get tired and hungry, and can get worn down by our efforts. So in the middle of the Fast, the Church sets before us the Cross of Christ, adorned with flowers and fragrant herbs. It seems strange that an instrument of torture and death is set there to encourage and strengthen us, but Christ in His great love and compassion has made the instrument of death into a source of life.

There is much in the world today to wear us down. We don’t need to travel to disaster sites to find opportunities to relieve suffering. Each of us, by paying attention to those we come in contact with, may find people who need a kind word, a helping hand, support and encouragement.

How do we find the strength to face struggles and losses, our own, and those of people we care for? We can look to the Cross as a symbol of victory over death, despair, and fear. Contemplating Christ’s Cross can increase our own hope and faith in the power of God’s love for all. Our strength comes through learning to trust in the Lord, and Him crucified, the One who granted paradise to the thief who reached out to Him as they both prepared to die.

Strengthened by this symbol of Christ’s ultimate love, we can shoulder our own crosses, continue to learn self-denial through fasting, focus on the needs of others, and do good works of mercy as we find opportunities. Let us pray that the joy of Christ’s victory through the Cross will strengthen and sustain us as we move through this suffering and needy world.

This week’s reflection is written by Marilyn N. Brady, PhD, of Holy Apostles Orthodox Church in Lansing, NY.

Icon courtesy of the Benaki Museum (public domain).