ON THE PRECIOUS AND LIFE-GIVING CROSS

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

ON THE PRECIOUS AND LIFE-GIVING CROSS
By Saint Gregory Palamas

THE CROSS OF CHRIST was mysteriously proclaimed in advance and foreshadowed from generations of old and no one was ever reconciled with God except by the power of the Cross. After our First Parents transgressed against God through the tree in Paradise, sin came to life, but we died, submitting, even before physical death, to the death of the soul, ITS SEPARATION FROM GOD. After the transgression we lived in sin and according to the flesh. Sin "IS NOT SUBJECT TO THE LAW OF GOD, NEITHER INDEED CAN BE. SO THEN THEY THAT ARE IN THE FLESH CANNOT PLEASE GOD" [Romans 8:7-8].

As the Apostle says, "The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh" [Galatians 5:17]. God, however, is Spirit, absolute Goodness and Virtue, and our own spirit is after His image and likeness, although sin has made it good for nothing. So how could anyone at all be spiritually renewed and reconciled with God, unless SIN AND LIFE ACCORDING TO THE FLESH HAD BEEN ABOLISHED? The Cross of Christ IS THIS ABOLITION OF SIN. One of our God-bearing Fathers was asked by an unbeliever if he really believed in Christ crucified. "Yes," he replied, "I BELIEVE IN HIM WHO CRUCIFIED SIN." God Himself has borne witness that there were many who were His friends before and after the law, when the Cross had not yet been revealed.

"…In the divine Paul’s words, the Cross is to have crucified "the flesh with the affections and lusts" [Galatians 5:24]. "Put off," He says, "thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground" [Exodus 3:5]. These words to Moses revealed that THE EARTH WAS TO BE HALLOWED THROUGH THE CROSS AFTER THE MANIFESTATION OF OUR LORD AND GOD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST. After that time, as he looked at that great spectacle of the burning bush which seemed cool as the dew, Moses FORESAW THE COMING OF CHRIST, WHICH WAS THEN IN THE FUTURE. The VISION IN GOD OF THE CROSS is a mystery greater than the earlier mysteries. The Great Holy Apostle Paul and our Holy Fathers hint THAT THERE ARE TWO MYSTERIES. For Saint Paul not only says, "The world is crucified unto me," but adds, "and I to the world" [Galatians 6:14]. The Holy Fathers of the Church, for their part, command us not to hasten to ascend the cross before the Cross, as though there were definitely two words of the Cross and two mysteries.

The first mystery of the Cross IS FLIGHT FROM THE WORLD AND PARTING FROM OUR RELATIVES ACCORDING TO THE FLESH, if they are a hindrance to piety and a devout life, and training our body, which Saint Paul tells us is of some value (I Timothy 4:8). In these ways the world and sin are crucified tous, once we have fled from them. According to the second mystery of the Cross, however, we are crucified to the world and the passions, once they have fled from us. It is not of course possible for them to leave us completely and not be at work in our thoughts, unless we attain to contemplation of God.

Since it is not possible for the evil passions and the world to leave us completely and not be at work in our thoughts, unless we attain to contemplation of God, inasmuch as such contemplation is also the mystery of the Cross, which crucifies those who are worthy of it to the world…

…And "when He had called the people unto Him with His disciples also, He said unto them, Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whosoever will save his soul shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his soul for My sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it" [Mark 8:34-35; cf. Luke 9:23; Matthew 16:24-25]…To follow Christ means TO LIVE ACCORDING TO HIS GOSPEL AND TO GIVE PROOF OF EVERY VIRTUE AND OF TRUE PIETY. The fact that anyone wishing to follow Him must DENY HIMSELF AND TAKE UP HIS CROSS MEANS HE MUST NOT SPARE HIMSELF WHEN THE MOMENT COMES, BUT BE READY TO DIE A DISHONORABLE DEATH FO THE SAKE OF VIRTUE AND THE TRUTH OF HOLY DOCTRINES.

"…Whereas earthly kings require those who follow them to be prepared to die for them, the Lord GAVE HIMSELF OVER TO DEATH FOR OUR SAKE AND COMMANDS US TO BE READY TO DIE NOT FOR HIS SAKE, BUT FOR OURS. To make it clear that it is for our own sake, he adds, "For whosoever will save his soul shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his soul for My sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it" [Mark 8:35]. What does this mean, that anyone who wants to save it shall lose it, and anyone who loses it shall save it? Man is TWOFOLD, consisting of our OUTWARD MAN, the BODY, AND OUR INWARD MAN, the SOUL, BEING SEPARATED FROM IT. But when someone loses his soul for Christ and the Gospel, he clearly saves and gains it BECAUSE HE HAS PROCURED FOR IT ETERNAL LIFE IN HEAVEN. In the resurrection he will RECOVER IT, and by means of it he will become, even in his body I say, JUST AS HEAVENLY AND ETERNAL AS IT IS. Anyone, by contrast, who clings to life is not prepared to lose his soul in this way, because he loves this fleeting gage and everything to do with it. He will inflict loss on his soul, depriving it OF TRUE LIFE, AND HE WILL LOSE IT, SURRENDERING IT ALONG WITH HIMSELF, ALAS, TO ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. The All-Merciful Lord mourned for such people and indicated how great a disaster was theirs by saying, "FOR WHAT SHALL IT PROFIT A MAN, KIF HE SHALL GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD, AND LOSE HIS OWN SOUL? OR WHAT SHALL A MAN GIVE IN EXCHANGE FOR HIS SOUL?" (Mark 8:36-37). For neither his glory nor any of the other deceptive honors and delights of this present age, chosen by him in preference to a death which brings salvation, will go down with him. How could any of these things be given in exchange for a human soul, which IS WORTH MORE THAN THE WHOLE WORLDS?

Even if a man could gain the whole world, brethren, it would be of no benefit to him because he would have lost his own soul. In reality, each person can only acquire an infinitely small share of this world. What a disaster, then, if someone lose his soul in his efforts to acquire this tiny share, rather than choosing to take up the sign and word of the Cross and to follow THE GIVER OF LIFE. Now both the sign which we reverence and the word concerning it are , in fact, the Cross.

(To be continued)

__________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George