Resurrection Orthodox Cathedral ROCOR

A cross was an instrument of ex*****on. Through Christ’s saving death and Resurrection, it became the sign of His victory and our deliverance.

Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco explains: “But after Christ’s death on the Cross it became the instrument of our salvation.”

The life-giving power of the Cross comes from the Lord Who was crucified upon it. He entered death and overcame it, opening the way to eternal life. When we honor His Cross, we glorify the crucified and risen Christ.

In his sermon for the Exaltation in 2023, Metropolitan Nikolai reminded the faithful: “But we must remember that God is love, and by His love the Lord saves us.”
This love is at the heart of the feast.
Looking at the Cross, we remember that our salvation was accomplished through the willing self-offering of the Son of God.

We approach it with thanksgiving for His mercy and with hope in His victory.

What Does It Mean to Bear Our Own Cross?

Christ calls His disciples to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him (Mark 8:34).

Archbishop Averky (Taushev), writing about the veneration of the Cross during Great Lent, explains the Christian’s personal cross through the struggle against sin, the patient endurance of sorrows, and devotion to the will of God.

Bearing our cross means following Christ through the actual circumstances of our lives. That calling reaches into ordinary decisions. It may mean asking forgiveness when pride urges us to defend ourselves, keeping a promise when it becomes inconvenient, or caring patiently for someone who depends on us.

It also means continuing to pray when life is difficult and accepting help when our strength is small.

We follow the Lord in dependence upon His grace, trusting that the way of the Cross leads toward resurrection and life.

Metropolitan Nikolai: Preserving the Inner Temple

In his sermon for the Exaltation in 2025, Metropolitan Nikolai said: “Each of us has our own inner temple, and it depends on us whether God dwells there or not.”

He spoke of preserving that inner temple through prayer, fasting, humility, and patience, and urged the faithful to take up their personal cross and follow Christ.
His words invite us to examine what we allow to occupy our hearts.
Resentment, distraction, and habits we continually excuse can crowd out prayer and love for our neighbor.

The feast gives us an opportunity to begin addressing one of these things honestly. We can make time for prayer, bring a persistent sin to Confession, or take a concrete step toward reconciliation.

On September 27, we celebrated the Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord. This year, the feast fell on the 17th Sunday after Pentecost and was a fasting day, even though it falls on Sunday.

At this feast, the Cross is brought into the middle of the church and offered for the veneration of the faithful. We stand before the sign of our salvation and remember the love with which Christ gave Himself for the life of the world. The Church approaches the Cross with reverence and gratitude. We remember the reality of the Lord’s suffering, and we also confess His victory over death. The Cross and the Resurrection belong together in our faith and worship.

God sought her consent. Her obedience was personal and loving. The feast of her birth invites us to consider how we, too, might become more ready to receive and follow the will of God.

The birth of the Theotokos has brought joy to all the world! God sought her consent. Her obedience was personal and loving. The ...