Homily for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord
Metropolitan Korniliy
Dear brothers and sisters,
The profound and spiritually rich service of the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord reveals the meaning and significance of the sacrificial offering on the Cross, which the Lord made for the redemption of the sins of the human race. Through this, the life-giving Cross became a source of strength for the battle against sin. Let us recall the words of the festal troparion: "Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thine inheritance." The Lord considers us, sinful people, as His inheritance; for our sake, the Savior shed His divine blood on the Cross. "Preserve Thy people with Thy Cross"—the life-giving Cross is the protector of all Orthodox Christians and the foundation of our lives according to the commandments of Christ. The Cross is given to every Christian at Holy Baptism and accompanies us throughout our lives. It even blesses the final resting place of humanity—the burial mound. Great is the power of the life-giving Cross!
In the hymns of today's feast, the precious and life-giving Cross is celebrated as "the glory of angels, the strength of the righteous, the praise of the faithful, the adornment of priests, the victory of the pious, the gate of paradise, the refuge of salvation, the hope of Christians, the guide of the lost, the haven of the storm-tossed, the healer of the weak, the resurrection of the dead, the defeat of demons, the guardian of the universe, the invincible weapon, the victory in battle, and the beauty of the Church." Through the Cross, the dominion of death is destroyed and abolished, and we are raised from the earth to heaven. The Holy Church calls us to venerate the Cross with both joy and reverence—with reverence for our sins, as we are unworthy of its holiness, but with joy for the salvation it brings to the world through the voluntary sacrifice of our Savior.
Today is both a sorrowful and joyous day. It is sorrowful because we see the Lord Jesus Christ crucified on the Cross. Christ endured the most painful and shameful death on the Cross. Yet, this day is also joyful if we understand why Jesus Christ died on the Cross.
We know that every person is born with original sin and later commits many sins themselves. However, nothing impure or sinful can enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Before Christ’s coming, no one could enter the Heavenly Kingdom; all were destined for destruction in hell. This would have remained the case forever if Jesus Christ had not suffered and died for us on the Cross. We could never have atoned for our guilt on our own. But with His blood, He washed away our sinful corruption.
Jesus Christ not only made the sacrifice on the Cross for our sins but also gave us grace and strength to protect ourselves from new sins. When a wealthy person forgives a debt that a poor man cannot repay, it is a good deed. But an even greater act of kindness is if the wealthy man gives the poor person money to restore his household and live without needing help from others.
Look at the Cross—is not Jesus Christ this compassionate wealthy man? Did He not give even Himself—His life-giving blood and life—so that we could receive grace from God and begin a new life? If Jesus Christ had not died on the Cross, we would not have Baptism or Confession, where our sins committed after Baptism are forgiven. If Christ had not offered His Pure Body on the Cross as a sacrifice, we would not have the sacrament of Holy Communion, through which we are united with Christ.
There is much more we owe to Christ—so much we have thanks to His death on the Cross. What does Jesus Christ ask of us in return for His sufferings? Only that we live according to His teachings and commandments.
The Holy Church solemnly sings today about the finding of the Holy Cross. Initially, this feast was established in honor of the joyful event that occurred three centuries after the Resurrection of the Lord. According to ancient Christian historians, the finding of the Cross took place through Saint Constantine the Great and his mother, Saint Helen. Out of deep reverence for the Cross, through which Emperor Constantine won many victories, he wished to build a church on Golgotha. His pious mother, Saint Helen, went to Jerusalem with the firm intention of finding the Cross of the Lord, the location of which had been lost during the persecution of Christians. Finding the Cross was difficult because the Jews and pagans, unable to tolerate the veneration of the Crucified One, sought to erase all memory of the Cross. The Cross of the Lord, along with those of the thieves crucified with Him, was buried in the earth, and a pagan temple was erected on the site. By divine revelation, an elderly Jew revealed the location of the Cross. When they began to dig, a wondrous fragrance filled the air, and three crosses were found. It was difficult to identify which was the Cross of the Lord since the plaque reading "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" lay separately, so divine confirmation was needed. Saint Macarius, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, following divine inspiration, ordered that the found crosses be placed on a dead maiden. The touch of the first two crosses produced no effect, but when the third cross was placed upon her, the dead maiden came back to life. Everyone witnessed this miracle, which was performed by the power of the life-giving Cross, which grants resurrection and life. The found Cross was triumphantly carried to the Church of Jerusalem, where Saint Helen joyfully venerated and kissed the precious Cross. The miracle of the Cross drew crowds of people to the church. Since not all could see the Cross due to the multitude, Patriarch Macarius took the Cross and, standing on a raised platform, lifted it high, showing it to the people, who in joyful reverence continually cried, "Lord, have mercy!" From that time, the Holy Church established the annual feast of the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord.
In memory of this event, the Holy Church performs the rite of the Exaltation of the Cross during the festal service, where the bishop raises the Cross in the center of the church, making the sign of the Cross over the four directions, lowering it and then raising it again. This symbolizes humanity’s fall into sin and its subsequent resurrection with Christ, being lifted from the depths of hell to the Kingdom of God, from death to eternal blessed life. The Cross, once an instrument of shameful execution, became the means of our salvation from sin. Our Savior was nailed to it by His divine will and love for us. The Cross of Christ thus became a symbol not of evil and shame but of honor and the greatest blessing for all humanity. Before His death, Christ told His disciples: "No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down of my own accord" (John 10:18).
The Lord, by His own free will, gave Himself up to death so that others might live eternal life with God. Christ voluntarily gave His life, enduring the agony of abandonment, betrayal, and suffering for each of us because each one of us is dear to Him and beloved by Him. We separate ourselves from God through our sins, selfishness, and lack of faith. Therefore, to save each of us, He would endure the entire horror of the Cross again, as the Savior revealed to the Apostle Peter in a vision when he was fleeing Rome. For this reason, the Cross is both a symbol of Christ’s love for us, His followers, and a sign of our love, devotion, and loyalty to the Savior, tested not by words but by the total surrender of our lives to God—by sacrificial, crucified love that can grant life to others. We venerate the Cross, which for us signifies victory over evil and death. That is why we should reverently make the sign of the Cross, as it is a sign before which all dark forces, defeated by the Cross, tremble.
The saving power of the Cross, sprinkled with the blood of the Lord, extends over all humanity. Let us recall just a few examples of the countless miracles worked by the precious and life-giving Cross.
According to the disciple of John the Theologian, Saint Prochor, the holy apostle healed a sick man lying by the roadside with the sign of the Cross (Life of St. John the Theologian, September 26).
A pious man named Ir, following the instruction of Saint Philip the Apostle, made the sign of the Cross over the injured limbs of the sick man Aristarchus, and immediately his withered hand was healed, his eye regained sight, and his hearing was restored (Life of St. Philip, November 14).
When Saint Epiphani, as a child and not yet baptized, was thrown from a vicious donkey and seriously injured his hip, a Christian who found him made the sign of the Cross over him three times, healing the young boy (Life of St. Epiphani of Cyprus, March 12).
The miraculous Cross of Christ not only heals illnesses but also protects the human body from fire, wild animals, deadly poisons, and other mortal dangers.
The holy and righteous Thekla made the sign of the Cross over the “vast pile of wood and branches gathered to burn her,” and the fire dared not touch her body (Life of St. Thekla, September 24). The holy martyr Vasilissa of Nicomedia shielded herself with the sign of the Cross and stood for many hours in a fiery furnace without any harm (Life of St. Vasilissa, September 4). Saints Adon and Senis, condemned to be torn apart by wild beasts, made the sign of the Cross, and the fierce animals, like gentle lambs, kissed the feet of these servants of God (Life of Sts. Adon and Senis, July 1).
Even deadly poisons were rendered harmless through the power of the Cross of Christ. Saint Julian the Bishop, having made the sign of the Cross over a cup of poison given to him by evildoers, drank it and felt no harm in his body (Spiritual Meadow, Chapter 3).
Similarly, Saint Benedict made the sign of the Cross over a glass containing poison, and it shattered as if struck by a stone (Life of St. Benedict, March 12).
For those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and acknowledge the power of His crucifixion for sinful humanity, the sign of His Cross is a great source of strength and protection against all evil, misfortune, and the schemes of our enemy, the devil.
Given all this, brothers and sisters, we must turn to our conscience and ask whether we are truly living and believing as Christians are called to, as those who are meant to inherit eternal life, redeemed by the blood of the Son of God.
During times of persecution, Christians always treasured the gifts that the pagan world threatened to take from them. The Holy Church commands every Christian to guard themselves with the sign of the Cross throughout their lives. How well do we fulfill this command? Watching how some people make the sign of the Cross, one can often be surprised, if not horrified, at the negligence with which it is done. Holy Scripture condemns those who treat sacred things with negligence: “Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord with slackness” (Jeremiah 48:10).
Reflect on the proper way to make the sign of the Cross, which is our declaration: “I am a Christian, I believe in Christ, I was baptized in His name, and I hope and trust in Him.” The sign of the Cross is a sign by which God mercifully turns His attention to us and pours out His saving grace. How much do those sin who, instead of making the correct and reverent sign of the Cross, perform something that does not resemble a cross, a bow, or a prayer at all, but merely a mechanical movement of the hand, the meaning of which they themselves do not understand. The demons rejoice at such meaningless gestures. However, the holy fathers teach that when someone makes the sign of the Cross with reverence, “the angels look upon them and rejoice, seeing the true Cross marked upon their faces.”
What explains this sad negligence toward the sign of the Cross? Likely, such careless hand motions come from an inward neglect or distraction. This suggests that the person may have weakened in faith itself, having forgotten the crucified Savior and His sufferings on the Cross, which freed us from the power of the devil and granted us eternal life. Christ calls all Christians: “Take up your cross and follow Me.” The apostles, martyrs, monastics, and all the saints joyfully followed Christ with their crosses. They willingly sacrificed all the blessings of the world for the Lord, even their own lives, and they were not disappointed in their hope—they inherited the eternal and blessed Kingdom, as the Apostle Paul said: “If we suffer with Him, we shall also be glorified with Him” (Romans 8:17).
We cannot forget, as Old Believers, the example of courage in bearing the cross set by the confessors of ancient Orthodoxy—Boyarynya Feodosia Morozova, her sister Princess Evdokia, and those who suffered with them. The proto-priest Avvakum describes their feats: “They put aside the weakness of women and took up the strength of men, going to suffer for Christ.” And when their tormentors offered them the chance to renounce the old faith, they replied: “We are ready to die for the faith of our fathers. Even if we die, we will not betray our true belief!” This is how the great defenders of ancient piety fulfilled the words of the Gospel: “Take up your cross and follow Me.” They were crucified with Christ, and the world was crucified to them, as the Apostle said.
Why, then, do so many today not follow Christ? Perhaps it is due to unbelief or lack of faith, attachment to the fleeting pleasures of this life, pride, laziness, spiritual ignorance, or neglect of salvation. At one time, Saint Cyprian wrote about this: “Christians have given themselves over to the spirit of the world. Comfort has lulled their faith to sleep. Everyone is concerned only with worldly and temporary matters. These bonds, these chains have stifled faith, ensnared the soul, and made it prey to the serpent, who was condemned by God to crawl on the earth” (On the Lapsed). Saint John Chrysostom’s homilies speak of the same thing: “If a stranger were to come to us and learn of both Christ’s commandments and the disorder of our lives, I do not know how he could portray the enemies of Christ as worse than us, for we seem to live as though we have decided to go against His commandments” (On Contrition). Bishop Michael Semyonov, in his sermon on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, reflects on the inner strength of Christians during times of persecution: “It is said that among the Old Believers, once the eight-pointed cross, which had previously been removed from prayer houses, was solemnly raised on the bell towers, zeal for their faith, love, and charity diminished. Whether this is true, I do not know, and I do not wish to engage in accusations. I only want to say that the external elevation of the ‘cross’—the gold and jewels, the flowers on the banner of the Son of Man—does not yet signify the true triumph of Christianity. The highest place a person can give the Cross is in their soul and on their shoulders, following the first Cross-bearer. And this Cross is always in danger; and in times of external peace, more than ever before… It requires great vigilance, the will of the spirit, to carry this Cross high and to preserve it from desecration.”
"If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself,” the Lord teaches us. To deny oneself, according to the Savior’s command, means to overcome our passions, sinful inclinations, and the tendency toward sin and all evil. All people, even the greatest righteous ones, are not free from the temptations of passions; in many ways, they were like us. However, they did not allow their passions to control them but timely subdued and conquered them. If they fell in their battle with the passions due to their natural weakness, they quickly rose again and, with renewed strength and experience, re-entered the fight until they overcame them. Thus, they ascended higher and higher, and for this, they are rightfully honored as ascetics and valiant warriors equal to the angels.
In the bitter state of earthly existence, everyone experiences sorrows and hardships. Yet, some, through the cross of earthly deprivations, sorrows, and trials, ascend to heaven and paradise, like the wise thief who suffered with repentance and called upon Christ. Others, like the wicked thief, endure the cross of temporary sorrows and sufferings but descend into hell for eternal torment, as they do not repent of their sins and do not follow Christ.
Christ’s followers must not only carry their cross in the footsteps of the Savior but also be crucified upon it, as the Apostle says: “Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24). Since the time when humanity transgressed God’s commandments, sin has dwelled within us, pressing heavily upon our hearts, darkening our senses, and clouding our minds. There is a constant battle within each person between the immortal spirit, which was breathed into us by the eternal God, and the flesh, which must be crucified for salvation. This does not mean we should torment or mutilate our bodies. No, the body itself neither does good nor evil. We must crucify the sinful tendencies that reside in our flesh, mortifying, as the Apostle teaches, “what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5).
All passions and evil inclinations are the enemies that live within our flesh, warring against the laws of God. These we must conquer with God’s help. To do this, the Apostle says we must “put on the full armor of God, the breastplate of righteousness, and take up the shield of faith” (Ephesians 6:11)—we must arm ourselves with virtues. For example, by arming ourselves with humility, we will overcome pride; by arming ourselves with self-control, we will defeat lust and sensuality; by arming ourselves with fasting, we will subdue gluttony and drunkenness. Above all, we must arm ourselves with Christian love, which the Apostle calls “the bond of perfection” (Colossians 3:14), because love directs us to do what is truly beneficial for our salvation, faithfully fulfilling our duties to the Lord and our neighbors. Therefore, brothers and sisters, let us strive to crucify our flesh with its passions and desires, to bravely fight against sin, so that even here on earth, we may taste the sweetness of that blessedness which God has prepared for those who love Him. But if we serve sin and do not crucify our flesh, know that it will crucify us; if we give free rein to our passions, they will become our tormentors and destroyers, eventually leading us to the grave, for “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), and from the grave to the abyss. Such is the outcome of earthly suffering if a person does not repent during their life.
We must endure many tribulations to enter the Kingdom of God, which is within us. The first step toward this is repentance, the turning of our will from evil and sin to good. It requires a constant, sometimes painful, struggle against the passions, which leads us to the Cross of co-crucifixion with Christ. A Christian must unite with the tree of life, renounce self-pity, and engage in the struggle against the passions, crucifying themselves. This path is wondrous—it takes away, but by taking, it gives; it cuts, but by cutting, it grafts; it kills, but by killing, it gives life. The Cross of Christ is both a great blessing and labor, through which death is trampled down and life is granted. Let us pray to the Lord to grant us the resolve and strength for the spiritual battle that delivers us from the passions. Let us gaze with faith and hope upon the life-giving Cross, repeating: "By the power of Thy Cross, preserve us, O Lord."
Brothers and sisters, as we carry our cross, let us follow the Lord under the banner of His Cross, serving the Author and Finisher of our faith, who granted us salvation through His divine mercy, love for humanity, and redeeming death on the most-honored and life-giving Cross. With humility, patience, and gratitude, let us bear our cross, so that on the day of our departure from this life, we may hear the joyful voice of Christ in the Kingdom of Heaven: “Where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him” (John 12:26). Amen.