Word on the erection of the venerable Cross and on the Holy Resurrection

In the “Sermon on the Exaltation of the Honorable Cross and on the Holy Resurrection” St. Sophronius of Jerusalem reveals in detail the spiritual meaning of two Christian holidays and their influence on the lives of believers. He emphasizes that the Cross and Resurrection are inextricably linked events that freed humanity from sin, death and the power of the devil. The sermon emphasizes that the Cross of Christ destroyed the “handwriting” of sins, freeing man from the debt obligation to God that arose as a result of the Fall of Adam. The Resurrection of Christ drove away the darkness of hell, bestowed immortality and delivered from sorrow, opening the way to eternal life. St. Sophrony calls on listeners to crucify themselves for the world - to renounce sinful passions and earthly attachments. The saint wonders why the feast of the Resurrection of Christ precedes the Exaltation of the Cross, although historically it was the other way around. He suggests that this is done so that pilgrims arriving in the Holy Land first experience the joy of the Resurrection, and then receive a “beautiful and saving equipment” in the form of the Cross of the Lord, which will accompany and protect them on earthly paths. *The title of the work in Latin is In exaltationem Crucis. The celebration of the Cross is taking place, and is there anyone who would not rejoice in spirit? The Resurrection is announced, and is there anyone who would not rejoice? Indeed, truly, the Cross, having been erected on the Kranievo place and having the nailed Lord of creation on it, destroyed the handwriting on us, which the forefather Adam signed (as a promissory note) by breaking God’s commandment - and the Cross freed us from the bonds of sins and made us rejoice and rejoice in joy, like calves released from their leash. “Where sin abounds, grace abounds” (Rom. 5:20). The Resurrection of Christ abolished mortal corruption and drove away the darkness of hell, and raised the dead from their graves, and, in the words of the prophet, took away “a tear from every face” (Is. 25:8), and granted truly inalienable grace to every person. Because the gift of the Resurrection is immeasurable and its meaning does not extend to a limited number of people. Because it was the God of all creation, the One who, in human flesh, subjected Himself to burial in it. It’s better to say: He performed the Resurrection in her, Who knew no boundaries in giving favors and To Whom any partiality is alien. Because He is known as the true God of all, and He has extended the gift of salvation to all people, sparing His image and renewing it perfectly, since every earthly person was created in the image of God. The remembrance of the Cross has come, and who among the people would not, in turn, want to crucify themselves? Because Christ sees the truest admirer in such a person who crucified himself to the world and who by his very deeds showed himself to be a true lover of the Cross. The feast of the renewal of the Resurrection is being celebrated, and who among the faithful would not wish, for his part, to renew himself, rejecting all deadness that comes on the basis of passions, and putting on the incorruptibility of the soul? The other is the death of the soul, and the other is known in relation to the death of the body. The first is struck by sin, as written by the first hierarch and head of this sacred Jerusalem see - James, the brother of the Lord. And the second produces the disintegration of the elements from which, by their nature, the body is composed. Of course, in this case, the separation of the immortal soul from the body occurs, although it was not imagined that way by doctors, experts in treating only bodies, 1 since this was given to the person who transgressed God’s commandment by the Creator in the form of obvious penance. The cross is raised to a height, and is there anyone who will not mysteriously rise from the ground? Because where the Redeemer has exalted himself, there the one redeemed by Him comes and moves, having a great desire to always be with his Savior and enjoy inexhaustible rewards from Him. Today the Resurrection approaches, and the universe rejoices at the pre-celebration. The cross appears in the morning, giving gifts to those who worship it. Today the Resurrection reigns, and tomorrow the Cross comes; it puts death to shame, and he puts the hordes of demons to shame; it, by itself, preaches that death has truly disappeared, and he proclaims to everyone that all the villainy of demons has been abolished, as well as all their nasty and soul-destroying energy (power of action); Previously, the Cross preceded the Resurrection, but now the Resurrection introduces and precedes the Cross. Oh, what a wonderful change in things! For in this I see a clear fulfillment of the words of the Savior: “The last became first” and, in turn, “the first became last” (Mark 10:31; Matt. 19:30; Luke 13:30). And can anyone explain the reason for such a change in order and change of things? Because it is no coincidence that it (the Resurrection) seemed to hasten to precede, and he (the Cross) seemed to being late, followed this. But didn’t the Divine Cross shine first, and didn’t the luminous Resurrection appear three days later? And why did our Fathers deliberately establish such a change in things, namely, so that the Resurrection preceded the Cross, we cannot explain this with precision and make a guess that the reason for this is that pilgrims coming from all over the earth in order to worship the Life-Giving Cross and Resurrection, first celebrating the all-joyful and bright holiday of the Resurrection, and then, immediately after this, seeing the holy Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord, we would receive beautiful and saving equipment in the almighty companion, i.e. that is, in the Cross of the Lord, accompanying them on earthly paths, and sailing with them in the sea, and in everything arranging their salvation and preserving them from all perverse circumstances, which he himself shows to you, because the almighty power of the Cross has embraced all the ends of the universe, and fulfills everything and is everywhere present and tireless (άχόπως). provides assistance, saving the faithful from misfortunes and showing salvation to the pious and holding back all enemies. It is possible that there was another, some hidden reason, which the ancient teachers of this Church knew and recognized, which reason we, the least, are not ashamed to openly admit that we do not know. God grants us to know it too, as we are absolutely sure of this, for the very benefit of you, who are most faithful to Him. So, is there anything more sublime for us than these blessed holidays? Is there anything in the world more sacred to us than these celebrations? Or should we not rejoice and rejoice while celebrating these festivals? – The radiance of the Resurrection and the bright worship of the Cross. They are for us the trophies of all our salvation. They, having freed us from death and passions and from the most malicious harm from demons, again raised us to our Lord, abolishing everything oppressive and sorrowful and shining the light of joys upon us. Is it not the life-giving Resurrection that gives us entry into immortal life? Or is it not the erected Cross that gives rise to liberation from suffering and passions for us? Because, truly, they showed us again as participants in the assimilation of us by God, which is what caused them and for the sake of which they happened for all of us who exist on earth. So, having learned their mysterious meaning and to what extent they were beneficial for us and what benefits they became sources for us, let us celebrate them beautifully (holy) and piously, just as these very holidays have as their goal: “Not fornication and adultery, not with zeal and envy” (Rom. 13:13), not with robberies and untruths. I'm holding back from listing the rest. Because I dare to say, beloved brethren and participants in the same faith of ours and enriched by the same spiritual fruits, that anyone who wants to celebrate these holidays in this way, that is, not with reverence, but in the spirit of those vices that the Apostle mentions, they not only do not accept and do not allow to themselves, but also turn away from this and abhor him, as a person leading a life unworthy of them and doing what hateful to them. Therefore, I ask and exhort you to hate these vices and turn away from them as those that violate our holidays; to observe and do what we understand to be pleasing to them. But we know anything and it is pleasant for them that the one who does it leads to salvation and guides him to eternal life. Didn’t they illuminate us with endless life and unfading light after they shone from Christ for people? So, we ourselves will change our behavior and, having fallen into the old way of life, as harmful and destructive, we will follow the path of a new life. Does not the Resurrection of Christ give us an inheritance of life? And did not the Cross of Christ crucify the ancient man within us? So, if we honor the Resurrection and celebrate its triumph, then we will love a new way of life, due to which we will become committed to it not only in words, but its closest and true secrets 2. And if we venerate ourselves to the Cross, then why don’t we crucify the passions, along with our earthly members, within ourselves, so that together with Paul it would be possible for us to exclaim: “I have been crucified with Christ: I live not as one, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:19-20)? So, if Christ proclaims that He lives in those who crucified themselves to the world and put to death the souls of the earth (Col. 3:5), as Paul exclaims and testifies, then why don’t we do the same and mortify within ourselves every earthly member, passion, evil lust and other things that can be counted with this, so that Christ may live in us and give us ageless life? So, let us seek peace with everyone, and at the same time acquire holiness, because “no one else will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14), as Paul again testified to us. And therefore Christ is also called “Peace.” “For this,” says the Apostle, “is our peace” (Eph. 2:14); moreover, He is also called our “sanctification” (1 Cor. 1:30). He is called “our peace” as having brought about peaceful unanimity, uniting the heavenly with the things on earth and having established a single Church consisting of both. “Sanctification” and “redemption” (because together with the first names this is also proclaimed) 3 as having become the Redeemer of us who were in captivity, and as having redeemed us not only from demons and passions, but also having planted Divine sanctification in us. And what you heard in my speech, with all diligence and zeal, we will follow, and acquire, and delight, and through this we unite ourselves with Christ in a beautiful and blissful union with Him. Because a person who comes to Him in this way will not be driven away from His goodness and bliss; away with even the very thought! Consequently, we will try to acquire such unity with Him, since there is nothing that would be more valuable, and we will strive for Christ to live in us, which is nothing more preferable, so that, having acquired such wealth, we will enjoy the Kingdom of Heaven and find eternal life, in Christ Himself, our God and Savior, with whom be glory to the Father with the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen 4. The parentheses belong to the original. It seems that what is meant here are the doctors of pagan times, the materialists. However, it is possible that even in the time of St. Sophronius there were skeptics and materialists among doctors, especially if they were not Christians, but foreigners. That is, completely initiated into true, eternal life, as participants in it. The text in brackets was added by us. Sohrronii ratriarshae Nierosolumitani oratio in Exaltationem Ienerandae CRUCIS et in Sanctam Resurrectionem Migne R. G. t. 87 3 col. 3301–3309. 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