Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Congratulations with the feasts of the Resurrection of Christ and of the Life-Giving Cross, as well as with the completion of the first half of Great Lent!

In today’s Gospel reading we heard our Lord Jesus Christ’s call to all those who believe in Him to take up their cross, follow after Him, and lose their souls for the sake of the Gospel, that is to live according to the Gospel commandments, virtuously and piously, and be ready to sacrifice one’s life for the sake of eternal blessedness with God. To some, these words may seem harsh and unjust, for it is unnatural to suffer and to sacrifices oneself. On the contrary, one wishes to live in tranquility. In fact, as the Holy Hierarch Gregory Palamas notes in his Homily on the Holy and Life-Giving Cross, that which the Saviour asks of His followers is very much just.

In our time the world is engrossed in war. In Ukraine, not only in the Holy Land but throughout all of the Middle East, and in Iran people are dying. Recently military operations took place in Venezuela, and what will happen in Cuba is a mystery, but in each place there are people who are ready, and sometimes even eager, to lose their lives for the sake of their country, their government, or for a certain ideology. Perhaps here, amongst ourselves, there are no such people, but without fail there are those who would sacrifice much, even their own lives, for the well-being, health or life of their children, husband or wife, and would not even think twice about it. Throughout all of human history, there have been people who were willing to sacrifice their lives for something or someone. The Holy Hierarch Gregory correctly notes that earthly rulers have no way of rewarding their faithful soldiers who have laid down their lives for him at war. On the other hand, our heavenly King rewards His saints generously, returning to them life and settling them in the Heavenly Kingdom. Do you see how acceptable and reasonable is the idea of sacrificing for something of great value, and how just is that commandment handed down in today’s Gospel reading?

Christ, who loves us so dearly, did not simply give us this difficult commandment, but Himself fulfilled it exactly when, being willingly obedient to the will of God the Father, He ascended to Jerusalem and spread His most pure hands on the tree of the cross for our sake. In such a way, He showed us a true example of sacrificial service to God, and, one could say, brought to life the words of today’s Gospel excerpt. Today in our country the lives of Christians are not at risk, but this does not mean that we are denied the chance to take up the cross and follow after Christ. We, as a rule, chase after earthly pleasures and comfort, and therefore it’s difficult for us to fast. Through the second half of Lent, let each of us continue or even intensify our lenten struggle so as to, at least in some way, sacrifice ourselves for the sake of our philanthropic, merciful, and crucified Lord.

priest Alexis