thoughts about the Cross of Christ

🔆 Church liturgical thoughts about the Cross of Christ represent a whole revelation of the mystery of the Cross's action in the Church. In them we find the deepest explanation of the life-giving nature of the holy Cross in connection with biblical prototypes. The power of the Cross saves people from sin, eternal condemnation and death, always strikes demons, eases the Christian's struggle with sin, graciously enlightens him and destroys in him the fear of death.

To the question about the cause of the life-giving power of the holy Cross, we find a clear answer from church hymnographers. They say that in the depiction of the sign of the Cross, the omnipresent Christ the Savior everywhere deigns to manifest His gracious power to believers. In the Cross the Lord has given the Church a rod of power, an invincible weapon, a source of renewal from passions. The depiction of the Cross with faith and prayer imprints on man the light of Christ's Face.

Christians not only guard themselves with the sign of the Cross, but also worship the image of the Cross, contemplating on it the Crucified Redeemer of the world — Christ. The image of Christ's Cross, though in appearance it is wood, is "clothed with Divine power, and invisibly to bodily eyes works miraculous salvation" for every Christian. "It radiates grace to believers like a flame of fire, pours out gifts to them like waters, enlightens their souls and thoughts, heals ailments, drives away passions, grants them God's blessing." Christ continuously shows in the Church the wood of His Cross "brighter than fire, more effective than flame, burning away people's sins and enlightening their hearts."

Everything said about the action of Christ the Savior through the image of the Cross can be summarized in the form of such concluding positions:

➕ Through the Cross, light-bearing grace of God is communicated to believers through Christ the Savior in the Holy Spirit of the Father, on condition of heartfelt invocation of the name of Jesus Christ during struggle with passions and demonic attacks.

➕ Cross-bearing grace is God's power that enlightens and sanctifies people, a sign of God's condescension to man, a shield from passions and evil spirits, and a treasure of gracious gifts.

➕ The life-giving action of the Cross is an indicator of the Savior's constant closeness to every Christian in the entire universal Church.

➕ The Cross is life-giving in the sense that the grace of God poured out in its image and inscription constitutes the ideal life force of the soul and the most necessary condition for the development of the most noble and elevated human knowledge, feelings and habits.

Bishop Benjamin (Milov), Readings on Liturgical Theology