|
Last
Updated on
March 18, 2007
The
Orthodox Church: A Visual Journey
Ancient Faith
Radio
Other Parish
Websites
St. Paul the Apostle Orthodox Church
in Las Vegas
Ancient
Faith Radio to go!
Learn
about software that allows you to record Ancient Faith Radio and take it with
you! Click
HERE for details.
| |
| This Sunday,
the third Sunday of Great Lent, commemorates the venerable Cross and the
Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The Cross as such takes on meaning and
adoration because of the Crucifixion of Christ upon it.
Therefore, whether it be in hymns or prayers, it is understood that the
Cross without Christ has no meaning or place in Christianity.
The adoration of the Cross in the middle of
Great Lent is to remind the faithful in advance of the Crucifixion of
Christ. Therefore, the passages from the Bible and the hymnology refer
to the Passions, the sufferings, of Jesus Christ: The passages read this
day repeat the calling of the Christian by Christ to dedicate his life,
for
"If any man would come after
me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me
(Christ)" (Mark 08:34-35).
This verse clearly indicates the kind of
dedication which is needed by the Christian in three steps:
 | To renounce his arrogance and disobedience
to God's Plan, |
| To lift up his personal cross (the
difficulties of life) with patience, faith and the full acceptance
of the Will of God without complaint that the burden is too heavy;
having denied himself and lifted up his cross leads him to the,
|
| Decision to follow Christ. |
These three voluntary steps are
three links which cannot be separated from each other, because the main
power to accomplish them is the Grace of God, which man always invokes.
The Adoration of the Cross is expressed by the faithful through prayer,
fasting, almsgiving and the forgiveness of the trespasses of others. On
this Sunday the Adoration of the Cross is commemorated with a special
service following the Divine Liturgy in which the significance of the
Cross is that it leads to the Resurrection of Christ.
|
The Sunday of
the Adoration of the Life Giving Cross
Mark 08:34-38
Mark 09:01 |
|
