"The knowledge of the cross is concealed in the suffering of the cross." St. Isaac the Syrian
"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." St. Paul
We bow down before the cross of our Lord at this joyous feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross because of what Christ accomplished on this wood. The victory has been won. We have been healed from the sinful affliction of the soul. Death has been swallowed up in this victory. What was killed on the Cross was not so much Christ as it was death itself for Life could not be killed. Death was the result of the sinful condition. "For the wages of sin is death" as St. Paul reminds us. What is so joyous about this feast is that we remember and enter into the salvation that Christ has offered unto us. This is why we have all manner of names for the Cross that we sing at this feast. Here is a sampling of what we call the Cross:
the glory of the faithful
confirmation of sufferers
protection of the righteous
salvation of the saints
driver away of demons
invincible banner of godliness
gate of paradise
protection of the faithful
might of the church
invincible weapon of peace
sign of true joy
strength of the faithful
power of righteous men
majesty of priests
rod of strength
weapon of peace
physician of the sick
resurrection of the dead
hope of Christians
guide of those gone astray
haven of the storm-tossed
victory in warfare
firm foundation of the Earth
life-giving tree
glory of the faithful
beauty of the Church
support of the faithful
glory of angels
wonder of demons
undefiled wood
marvelous wonder
As we can see, there are many aspects of the Cross that we focus on during this feast.
One particular dimension of the Cross is that it is the "confirmation of sufferers." We glorify the Cross of our Lord for it is through the suffering of Christ's voluntary passion that our own suffering in this life makes sense. We refer all of our life to God in praise and thanksgiving. This means the good as well as the bad. This is what St. Paul means when he says, "God forbid that I glory except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Gal. 6:14). It is through our own taking up the Cross that we become co-sufferers with Christ. We say in the hymns, "through the Cross joy has come into all the world." Do we believe this? This is the joy of the Cross. What the evil one means for harm becomes transformed into that very place where death and sin are destroyed. This is why "the message of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing." Then the Cross makes no sense. Why, if God wanted to manifest His power, why would He not deliver Christ from having to endure the scourging and torturous death on the Cross. The power of God was made more manifest through the death of Christ on that Tree of Life. For, through it, death has been killed. Mankind has been set free from sin and death. The hymns say, "the passions of the passionless God has destroyed the passions of the condemned," and "Today the death that came to mankind through the eating of the tree, is made of no effect through the Cross."
It is through the transformation of suffering that the power of God is made manifest. Then one is totally free from the results of the sickness of sin. "...but for us who are being saved, it (Cross) is the power of God." This is what St. Isaac means when he says that the "knowledge of the Cross is concealed in the suffering of the Cross." Let us rejoice and be exceedingly glad for this Life- Giving Wood of the Cross upon which Christ was killed for us men and for our salvation in order to be resurrected and bring life to the fallen!
