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Fr George's Letter

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Written by: Fr George

EXALTATION OF THE CROSS.  

“The virtues build a new person radiating love to the world.”

(Metropolitan Paul (Yazigi) of Aleppo who consecrated our temple.)

 

“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

                                                                               (Hebrews 4:15-16)

 

SUNDAY 13^th SEPTEMBER. Sunday before the Exaltation of the Cross. Forefeast of the Exaltation of the Cross. Commemoration of the Dedication of the Church of the Resurrection (Holy Sepulchre)  at Jerusalem (335). Hieromartyr Cornelius the Centurion (1st). St. Aristeides of Athens, the Philosopher (2nd). St. Peter of Atroa (9^th). Great Martyr Ketevan, Queen of Georgia (1624).

 

“I beseech You, O Lord, pour out the grace of the Holy Spirit upon all people, that they may come to know Your love. Comfort and warm the hearts of those who are downcast, that they may glorify You with joy, forgetting the sorrows of this earthly life.”

                                                                                          (St. Silouan the Athonite) 

 

“To take up the Cross of Christ is to embrace humility, and humility is the recognition of the measure of our humanity and the acceptance, in faith, of the mystery that transcends us.”

                                                 (St. Venerable Confessor Arsenie of Prislop)

 

 

TODAY’S GOSPEL. JOHN 3:13-17. “ “No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  

 

The world today is filled with fear, anger, power-hungry people, the very rich using money to buy influence, thinly veiled racism, violence, etc., etc., the list is endless. Beloved of God, today’s Gospel is a complete antidote to all of these things. Jesus tells us that God’s love for the world is so great that He gave His only-begotten Son that the world might be saved. On Monday is the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross and we will be lifting up the Cross surrounded by flowers at the Sunday Liturgy so that as many people as possible may be blessed by the power that the Cross radiates.     

The feast commemorates the finding of the Holy Cross by St. Helena, the Mother of the emperor Constantine, that she found buried under a pagan temple in Jerusalem in 326 AD. On September 14th in 335 AD after the completion of the Church of the Resurrection, the true Cross was lifted high to bless the people. The feast also commemorates the recovery of the Holy Cross in 628 AD, after it had been captured by the Persians in 614 AD. These historical facts show how precious the Cross was and is for Christians.  

We look upon the Cross not just as an image of suffering, but as a vision of the boundless love of God with all that it promises. We look upon it and remember Christ’s ultimate act of love and His promise of salvation for all humanity and all of Creation. In this world of suffering the Cross is our strength, our hope and our protection. As a suffering dying friend confided “All we have left is prayer.” Prayer before the Holy Cross should bring us humility that becomes love of God and love of all His people. May we all be blessed in its shadow that we may see the glorious light of Christ’s Resurrection.

 

                                                                                   Much Love, 

 

                                                                                   Fr. George.