This Sunday that is called “The Sunday of the veneration of the cross” is actually a veneration of the crucified. The Church noticed that some believers get tired when the Lent is halfway through. Therefore, in order to make them continue their quest without boredom, the Church made a small memorial for the Lord’s passions.
The sacrifice that was raised on the cross is Christ himself. Through it, He has become the Chief Priest; actually, He has become the only chief because He is the one that offers and the offering at the same time.
In today’s Gospel, Mark reveals for every believer the meaning of the cross and how a person must commit to the cross and be slaughtered through Christ’s passions. He shows that this would be following the Savior’s way, as he says: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me”.
First, you have to show commitment. Your will must be engaged to Christ. This leads you into getting rid of selfishness, the love for yourself and lusts. This is what the Lord talked about when he said: “One must deny himself”. However, in order to truly get rid of your desires, you must take up your cross, i.e. endure the discomforts of life as the Lord took up His cross. Following the Lord causes you physical and psychological fatigue. People around you and people you deal with torture you in the first place. These pains are a condition to follow Christ. If your whole life was a fuss, you would be following your desires and not Christ.
The Gospel draws this meaning by saying: “whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it”. Losing life means tiredness and staying away from sin. All of this is controlling your desires, monitoring your soul and supervising yourself.
He reaches the peak by saying: “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” You might win all the money and glory of the world, and yet your soul might be in sin. What would you be winning? Hell would have entered your soul which contains money, glory and power i.e. contains “nothing” in the eyes of God but a real misery for the soul. How could you redeem your soul? Would your soul be a price for these glories and lusts?
This fall means that you feel ashamed of the Son of man. If you didn’t feel so, you would endure everything and testify for Christ who would embrace you to His chest.
You are asked to choose between the Savior and the Savior’s enemy, sin. Those two cannot exist together in one heart. You are asked to be biased to Jesus and not to add to Him anything else or what is against him.
If you were with Him, you shall go to your job, family and all your natural concerns. And you would be coming from Him to all of these and everything you do would be sanctified. You would be taking up your cross with joy.
Translated by Mark Najjar
Original Text: “السجود للصليب” –Raiati 12- 18.03.2012
