To worship the Honest Tree

Let us sing, O people, a new song to the truth of the King of the Lord and bring Him confession, or better yet, let us sing hymns to Him, glorify, praise, worship and magnify the coming of the Lord and God and our Savior Jesus Christ, with triumph we worship and exalt with praise the honorable and blessed tree of the Lord. Come, beloved, with faces of praise and reverent faith, let us exclaim along with the prophet David with the words of the psalm “Show us the light of Your countenance, O Lord” (Psalm 4:7). What kind of light is this if not the Cross of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ, by which the world was saved and we, who believed, were freed from the captivity of Beliarov, and the handwriting of our sins was destroyed? The face of the Father, of course, is Christ: “He who has seen Me has seen the Father,” He said himself (John 14:9). The light of the face, i.e. The Lord, there is a Cross, because on it, like a lamp on a candlestick, He enlightened the universe and established the shaking earth and tore apart the rocks and raised the dead and darkened the sun, covering the sky with darkness, to show the ungrateful, wicked and God-hating Jews that the one crucified on the Cross was the Lord and Creator. For this, beloved, I strive and ardently desire to draw you to the Cross and praise it according to its dignity, but I am afraid to do this, feeling my unworthiness: my body trembles, my tongue grows numb, my lips close and my mind tells me to remain silent. In fact, how could I, insignificant, adequately portray the power of the Honest and Life-giving Cross? It is only by the grace of God that I will say what is within my power: after all, even the angels are not able to praise the power of the Cross in a proper manner. The angels bow before this visible sign of the Cross - not for the sake of its appearance, like a tree, but for the sake of the will of Christ who nailed His flesh on it. Adam suffered condemnation for eating from the tree, but the new Adam, Christ our God, strengthened us with the tree of the cross. Thus, the prophetic word was fulfilled: “Give to those who fear You a banner, so that they may lift it up for the sake of the truth” (Psalm 59:6). A sign is a cross on the face and hand of the faithful, a bow is delusion, an arrow is the devil, arrows are shameful thoughts, wounds are sins. Hurry up, faithful ones, let us pay veneration to the Honest and Most Pure Cross. Horror gripped the entire animate creation when, before its eyes, Christ, the Creator and Almighty, was stretched out on a tree and pierced with a spear into the sacred rib, when blood and water flowed out from an imperishable source, when the crown of thorns was placed on the forehead, when vinegar mixed with bile was offered to quench thirst, when the servants of darkness and gloom cast lots with unclean hands to everyone will receive their due share. Then the faces of the disembodied angels trembled, the sky, the greatest of the luminaries, trembled and darkened - the sun hid its rays, and darkness filled the airspace; the day gave way to deep evening, the shiny church curtain was torn, the earth shook and shook, the coffins opened and the dead hurried into the light of God, freed from their bonds. The thief (by his) faith and word (of the Lord) is introduced into paradise; Judas, struck by despair, surrenders to being strangled; Peter swears in fear that he does not know the Lord, who saved him from error, until the rooster denounces him with its cry - then, weeping bitterly, he washes away his sin. Seeing all this, the underground dragon exclaims with weeping and lamentation: Oh, my servants and comrades-in-arms, leaders of darkness! Who is this guy who pierced my heart? He stung me with the edge of a tree, and I am bleeding, my insides are damaged, my heart hurts, my feelings are confused, my spirit is exhausted. Oh, if only Judas had not been called as a disciple! Oh, if only the tree of the crucifixion had not been erected for my destruction! The One Whom I considered my prey has captured me and I have to vomit out everyone, no matter how many I have swallowed, starting with the primordial. Hurry, beloved, let us take refuge under the shadow of the wings of the honest and life-giving Cross. After all, the cross, with its four ends, means that the crucified God contains everything and embraces all limits. And Christ and God are exalted on it, in order to crush the demons nesting in the air, and to make our ascent into heaven unhindered, as our Savior himself said: “And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to Me” (John 12:32). However, why say too much? Listen to what the prophet says: “The Lord will send the rod of Your strength from Zion” (Psalm 109:2). This rod is Christ, just as Isaiah said: “And a branch will arise from the root of Jesse” (Is. 11:1). With him in his hands, Moses divided the Red Sea, split the water and joined it again: he cut it to open the way for the people of God, he united it so that the Egyptian people would sink into the depths of the sea. And another prophet says: “Blessed be the tree through which salvation was accomplished in the midst of the earth.” Look at the stars of heaven, and every day you will see among them the sign of the cross, formed by the combination of stars. Likewise, before I exalt the Life-Giving Cross, I will say something in praise of it and then, having exalted it, I will bow to it. Rejoice, Cross, the beginning of salvation and the establishment of the kingdom! Rejoice, the Cross is the support of the apostles and the preaching of the prophets! Rejoice, Cross, praise of the martyrs and preaching of the saints! Rejoice, Cross, calming of the overwhelmed and liberation of the captives! Rejoice, Cross, rejoicing of the righteous and saintly! Rejoice, Cross, vestment of priests and honor of elders! Rejoice, Cross, decoration of deacons and joy of readers! Rejoice, Cross, praise of monks and consolation of those who cry! Rejoice, Cross, guardian of the Churches and the prosperity of cities! Rejoice, Cross, father of the orphans and protector of widows. Rejoice, Cross, salvation of those at war and guide of the lost! Rejoice, Cross, protector of the offended and punishment of those who offend! Rejoice, Cross, pacification of the sick and consolation of the afflicted! Rejoice, Cross, destroyer of unrighteous plans and ally of good hopes! Rejoice, Cross, invincible weapon of those who fight and the uprising of those who fall! Rejoice, Cross, strength for the weak and support for the weak! Rejoice, Cross, crown of virgins and chastity for widows! Rejoice, Cross, robe of the newly enlightened and cover of the newborn! Rejoice, Cross, freedom for slaves and peace for the dying! Rejoice, Cross, sanctification of souls and destruction of demons! Rejoice, Cross, companion of wanderers and a quiet haven for sailors! Rejoice, Cross, affirmation of the faithful and consolation of the watchful! Rejoice, Cross, weapon by day and guard by night! Rejoice, Cross, support for the sick and staff of shepherds! Rejoice, Cross, guide of those who convert and perfection of those who prosper! Rejoice, Cross, salvation for the soul and aversion from the body of all evils! Rejoice, Cross, dispensation of all good things and resolution of sins! Rejoice, Cross, sprout of resurrection and tree of eternal life! Rejoice, Cross, foundation of faith and crown of priesthood! Rejoice, Cross, taking away iniquity and establishing churches! Rejoice, Cross, healing of illnesses and rest for travelers! Rejoice, Cross, help to those in need and ally to those who strive! Rejoice, Cross, a consolation for the afflicted and a protection for the prosperous! Rejoice, Cross, encouragement of alms and punishment of hard-heartedness! Rejoice, Cross, strong help and sure guarantee of hope for everyone! Today the Cross is worshiped and the resurrection of Christ is renewed; today the Cross is worshiped, and the city of God, the heavenly Jerusalem, triumphs with earthly beings; today the Cross is worshiped, and Zion, the mother of all Churches, rejoices; today the Cross is worshiped, and the ends of the earth gather to worship it; today the Cross is worshiped, and victory over the barbarians is granted to the king of the Romans; today we worship the Cross, the salvation of the faithful and the intercession of the pious; today the Cross is worshiped, and the four countries of the world rejoice; Today the Cross is worshiped, and all tribes, peoples and languages ​​celebrate; today the Cross is worshiped and creation is renewed; today the Cross is worshiped and Adam is reborn; Today the Cross is worshiped, and Eve, the mother of the living, turns out to be a real helper, and not the culprit of temptation, as before, eating from the tree of life, and not from the tree of knowledge, showing obedience instead of disobedience, accepting a blessing in revocation of the oath, showing joy in having many children in reversal of what was said: “in pain you will bear children” (Gen. 3:16), being reborn from corruption to incorruption. Who is this mother of the living and who enjoys the fruit of the tree of life if not the Church of God? And the tree is the Cross of the Lord, the beautiful Bridegroom of the Church. He is now being worshiped - and the prince of evil trembles, demons are scourged, hordes of evil spirits are scattered, hell is devastated and his army takes flight, Belial is trampled upon and the adviser of temptation no longer talks with our common mother, but grovels on his own breast, biting in the heel and being struck in the head. He devours the earth, condemned to produce thorns and weeds, and sees that the wife he once seduced enjoys from the tree of life, while he himself remains under the same oath; he sees that he has no power even over the heel, while all his heads are erased by the Cross; he sees that the one who was once condemned stands at the right hand as a queen and who covered her nakedness with fig leaves is clothed in gold-embroidered, decorated clothes - and he mourns his own ugliness. He sees that she is given the royal scepter, and she rises to the very sky - and he mourns his own fall. He sees her loudly calling her children to worship the Holy Cross, and is horrified at their obedience, amazed at their zeal, and amazed at their large numbers; sees the whole creation triumphant, and himself doubly put to shame and the prophetic word come true: “and strain, and hasten, and reign” 1 (Psalm 44:5), i.e., draw the bow of the Cross, defeat the devil, reign over the creation, restore man. And again: “Exalt the Lord our God, and worship His footstool” (Psalm 98:5). The strongholds of sin and the strongholds of hell were overthrown by the Cross of Christ. Hurry up, let’s bow to the Cross. Come here, let us remove and gather the fruits of the tree of life, which stands at the source of the waters from the side of Christ and which gave its fruit in its season. The Cross of Christ is the tree of immortality, the seed of incorruption, the root of truth, the sprout of chastity, the flower of virginity, the rose of widowhood. The Cross is the weapon of courage and the fortress of abstinence, the Cross is the foundation of faith and the foundation of piety, the Cross is the torch of knowledge of God and the abolition of the sentence, the Cross is the return of the exiled and the liberation of the captives, the Cross is the conversion of the lost and the restoration of those who fall, the Cross is the strength of the saved and the healing of the weak, the Cross is the prosperity of the righteous and the boldness of the martyrs, the Cross is the apostles' preaching and the prophets' joy, the Cross is the instruction of teachers and monks praise, the Cross is the crown of peace and the preacher of harmony, the Cross is the union of heavenly and earthly and the trampling of the underworld, the Cross is the sanctification of creatures and the bestowal of heavenly blessings, the Cross is those celebrating the triumph, the guarantee of adoption and inheritance of the kingdom of heaven. And what is most remarkable of all, the Cross - the greatest symbol of the love of God and the Father for us - is at the same time a witness of Divine obedience until death on the part of the Son and an indicator of the wisdom of the Spirit. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). The Son, having shown obedience to the point of death, and even death on the cross, gave us a sign of His victory over death, so that together with Him, who by the dispensation of the Spirit had already overthrown principles and powers, we would defeat the enemy, bind the strong man and plunder his vessels, and then fearlessly cultivate the paradise of God, dig up the treasure buried in the field, and find the precious pearl destined to adorn the seal of the Cross and the day of creation. And so, just as then, when Christ hung on the Cross, the tombs opened and hell opened up, the rocks split, the gates were crushed, the elements shook, the dead rose and souls were freed from their shackles, so today: the Cross is presented - and the devil runs away, the demons rush to hide. The Lord raised His flesh to the Cross to show our flesh exalted and death deposed. Today the Cross is worshiped and the voices of prophecy are imprinted. After all, Adam was freed by the cross from the bonds that the serpent had bound him in paradise, and he himself gagged him and pricked him along with Eve; By using the cross, the robber opened his way to heaven. What house does not have a cross at its foundation? What ship can do without a cross in the rudder? What city does not put itself under the protection of the cross? What king does not use the cross as a scepter? What Church does not overshadow itself with the victorious sign of the cross and protect itself with it? What widow does not have a cross as her support? What orphan does not resort to the help of the cross? The cross glows at night, emits rays during the day, makes souls clear, calms storms of evil, strengthens marriages, nourishes the orphans. This is the facet of Divine care for our salvation, this is the great victory of the Cross, this is a trophy erected by suffering, this is the crown of the holidays. The cross is the treasure of the Old Testament, the dear pearl of the gospels, the valuable crown of the kingdom, surpassing all word and understanding. “Then,” says (the Lord), “the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven” (Matthew 24:30). When is this then? When the powers of heaven are shaken, when the only begotten Son of the Father with his angels comes to judge the living and the dead. Then those who adorned themselves with this royal sign, who adopted this valuable pearl and preserved beauty in the image and likeness, will be caught up in the clouds to heaven. The Lord and God “will send His angels with a loud trumpet, and will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other” (Matthew 24:31). This is how Evangelist Matthew depicts the future second coming of the Son of God, before the cross. And what is happening now is a clear image of the future. Here on earth the cross is offered, and all generations of people and tribes of peoples, and every age are sealed with the sign of the cross - rulers and subordinates, masters and slaves, glorious and inglorious, wise and simple, noble and honorable. Come, let us worship the holy growth, the Cross, exuding true knowledge and revealing the truth; come, let us bless the Holy Cross, which gives life and pacifies life; come, let us worship the unshakable, God-adorned and God-loving Cross; come, let us glorify the Holy Cross, witnessed by the angels, the only one worthy of veneration, marked by heaven; come, let us magnify everything - the holy and glorified Cross, wisely and intelligently constructed; Come, let us give thanks from above to the given, terrible and gracious, soul-beneficial and beautifully adorned Cross; Come, let us worship with fear and love and faith, and let us sanctify ourselves with the kiss of the Honest and Life-giving Cross. But those who wish with understanding and due attention to approach the Cross of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ and receive remission of sins, first of all, must love the truth and cast off wickedness, and not indulge in alien affairs. Therefore, when you approach the Cross, put away evil slander from yourself, sacredly honor the oath, do not plunge yourself into the abyss of sin, avoid perjury and blasphemy in every possible way. Those who wish to approach the Cross, do not darken yourself with sin, but sincerely keep the commandments of God. When approaching the Cross, drive out wickedness from your hearts and reject wickedness, do not seek gain or evil gain, honor, glorify and love your parents. When approaching the Cross, eradicate vicious inclinations in yourself, arm yourself with good thoughts, prepare yourself for every good deed. When approaching the Cross, drive out jealousy from your hearts, do not seek harm to your neighbor, do not be deceived by incorrect weights and measures, do not break marriage bonds, love each other mutually, do not enjoy sin, overcome bad habits. When approaching the Cross, leave vain shows, tame anger and rage, do not oppress anyone, flee from murder, betrayal and slander. When approaching the Cross, do not remain in lies, do not indulge in shameful and soul-harming passions, but keep the commandments of God with all your soul. When approaching the Cross, do justice and truth, love the beautiful and the good, do not get involved in quarrels and warfare. If you want to approach the Cross, let each of you tell your neighbor one truth, let all lust, all intemperance be vile and disgusting to you. If you wish to approach the Cross, do not be defiled by a lawless deed, harmful and stifling by the sin of adultery, because adultery exposes both body and soul. Therefore, avoid adultery, remembering that when you fall into it, you immediately become a lawbreaker, kill your body, disgrace yourself, subject your soul to torment, dishonor your family, and anger God. Flee also fornication, because fornication - this harmful and soul-destroying sin - has already been the cause of many misfortunes in the world. Wanting to kiss the Cross and enjoy its fruits, we must not plunge ourselves into the dark abyss of adultery and into the dark pit of fornication, because the destructive acts of lawless fornication and the kindled arrows of adultery give rise to a vigilant worm, as well as an unquenchable fire that dries up the soul, melts the heart and exhausts strength - all this gives rise to fornication and adultery. Those who approach the Cross arrogantly and fearlessly will be shocked by thunder, driven to gnashing of teeth by fear, struck by lightning, and become victims of the terrible arrows of the abyss. Those who wish to approach the Cross must hate slander, be disgusted by rancor, not forget mercy to the poor, not shy away from visiting the sick, not have the weakness of love of money, and not be lazy in visiting prisoners in prison. Gathering in church, with fear and trembling, but also with joy, let us approach the Cross and always honor the priests. Let us imagine, beloved, in our minds the power of the Cross. When the Cross was erected and Christ was crucified on it, when His most pure head drooped and His rib was pierced by a spear, when the whole of heaven was seized with fear and was ready for vengeance for the one hanged on the cross by the flesh, but was restrained by those crucified on the cross by the flesh, then the devil, seeing the confusion of the elements, the weapons of the lawless and their camp, the thunderclaps and their peals, the brilliance of lightning and their the twists, the flight of arrows and their lightness, the roar of an earthquake and its strength, the multitude of angels and their faces, the brilliance of fire and its flame, the storm of wrath and its fury, the heavenly armies and their militia, the regiments of revived saints and their strength, the subordination of the clouds and their purpose - at the sight of all this, the devil hastened to descend into hell and order to strengthen its gates and gates. But, looking around, he sees that lightning-fast creatures are rushing towards him, a stunning thunderclap deafened him, darkness surrounded him, the vibrations of the elements frightened him, a regiment of nimble overtook him, the earth shook, the stones opened, the gates were crushed, the pillars shook, death was in confusion, the lamps of spiritual fire moved forward, the depths of hell shook, the sea raged, the abysses the underworld opened up, the trumpet sounds intensified. The sun darkened, and one could see the very sky and the visible firmament, this circle of the world, the edge of creation, the roof of the universal dwelling, the unfading veil, the vault established on the waters, the crystal vessel, the outstretched charter, the golden book, the silver field strewn with stars, the azure palace, the fiery bed on which the sun and the moon flaunt as the bride and groom. Meanwhile, the sky was clothed in darkness instead of radiance, the rivers, springs and bays moved to stop their flows, but by the wave of the crucified Christ they were encouraged to continue their flow. The gloomy army of demons fled. And the entire militia of angels, archangels and service forces worried in fear and trembling, contemplating the eternal, incorruptible and immortal God - who does not leave heaven and enters the foundations of the earth after Adam. Hell was writhing in agony, Belial, stunned by everything that was happening, died of fear, and death, scorched and struck by the lightning of the Deity, spewed out from its womb all the righteous who had hitherto constituted its prey. When all this was accomplished in this way, behold, a voice was heard from the mouth of the Holy, Most Pure, Immortal and Invisible, life-giving and not deadly, but exciting joy and awe, joy in the righteous, and awe in the rulers of darkness: I say to you who are in chains: come out! – and to those who are in darkness: open up! Hearing this, the souls of the righteous triumphed and the face of the prophets joyfully sang the psalm: “Our God is coming, and not in silence: before Him is a consuming fire, and around Him is a strong storm” (Psalm 49:3). And then the souls of the saints, released from their bonds, came out with Adam, the prophets - hitting the devil, the righteous - scourging him, the saints - spitting on him, ridiculing him. A horde of demons bowed their heads to their knees, prophets with kettledrums and lyres in their hands sang tympanic songs, glorifying the Victor. After this, who would not be surprised by the power of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross? Oh, Cross, the hidden sacrament! Oh, inexpressible grace and inexpressible power! But the time, however, is already to approach the terrible meal and begin the bloodless sacrifice. Therefore, with appropriate modesty and moderation, adding here a small portion of praise to the Life-Giving Cross, I will finish my word. Rejoice, terrible for everyone and life-giving Cross, wonderful light and eternal sun! Rejoice, Honest and Holy Cross, saving for the souls of the called, but destructive for the souls of the lawless! Rejoice, wondrous Cross, covering the path of the righteous and burning the paths of the wicked! Rejoice, blessed Cross, leader of the good and protector of those who trust in you! Rejoice, all-blessed Cross, wall and salvation of those who come running to you! Rejoice, all-bright Cross, deliverer of the needy and healer of the sick! Rejoice, great Cross, helper of the suffering and protector of the oppressed! Rejoice, luminous Cross, helpless patron, wandering guide, offended representative! Rejoice, victorious Cross, giver of the needy and quick novice to those who cry! Rejoice, invincible Cross, unchanging patron, protector and inspirer of the world! Rejoice, life-giving Cross, benefactor of the universe, rewarder of the virtuous! Rejoice, elevating the Cross, making your servants conquerors! Rejoice, life-giving Cross, benefactor of friends, destroyer of the Jews, punisher of the wicked, rewarder of the just! Rejoice, cross worthy of wonder, adornment of the priesthood, praise of monasticism, deliverer of the persecuted, connoisseur of the humble! Rejoice, life-giving Cross, consolation for the poor, rebellion for the fallen, patience for those who sin, acceptance for the repentant! Rejoice, all-holy Cross, forgiveness of those who repented, encouragement of converts, election of your saints, destruction of your enemies, inheritance of Christians, dispensation of churches, worshiped from all creation! This Honest and Sacred tree, revered by all, is now offered for worship. Hellenes and barbarians, Macedonians and Thessalians, Paeonians and Illyrians, Athenians, Argives and Spartans, Parthians, Medes and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Egypt and Libya adjacent to Cyrene, Cretans and Arabians, Hindus, Ethiopians and Omirites, and all other peoples, as many as there are under the sun, abandoning their errors, worship the Cross, being signified by it and thereby avoiding the intricately woven snares of the devil. With the Cross Christ dissolved the insatiable womb of Belial and crushed his carnivorous mouth, with the Cross he radically undermined his strength and erased his bones, robbed his weapons, cut off his hair, plunged him into tears and gloomy hopeless grief, extinguished his shameless eyes, disgraced his dishonest face, pierced him with sharp needles, struck him with a three-part sword, dispelled his hopes, opened his secret hiding places and devastated his reserves to the end. Christ cast down his demons with all their children and offspring, burned his hand-made idols with unquenchable fire, cast down his seat into the abyss, exposed his dark hiding places, ravaged his cities, destroyed the strongholds of iniquity, crushed the gates of hell, overthrew the indestructible gates and, having freed all those who believed in Him, brought with Him to Father to heaven, ascending there like a giant, thereby justifying the words of the prophet: “he rejoices, like a giant, to run a race” (Psalm 18:6). With this sign the enemies take flight, with this sign the walls of the enemies are swept away, the demons are destroyed: everything is subjugated to the Tree of the Cross by the power of Him Crucified on it. And not only now does the image of the Cross defeat opposing forces, but in former times it also conquered and prevailed. Look at the power of this image. The rod of Moses was an image of the cross: the cross was his rod. Remember what wonders and signs this image of the cross performed, to the destruction of the opponents, and to the good of the faithful. Moses turned the rivers of Egypt into blood with his rod, and with the same rod he brought upon them locusts, swarming flies, hail, tangible darkness, storms, and the slaughter of the firstborn; Wherever the rod turned, everywhere it triumphed in victory. With a rod, God called the Jewish people out of bitter slavery, and the image of the cross served the cause of their salvation. Now you see, beloved, the power and strength that accompanied the image of the cross: bow down to the truth of Christ, having heard about the fulfillment of the prototype, pay veneration to the revealed truth. The word about the cross is extensive, but its power cannot be explained. Those who worship the Cross with faith and love know its inherent power and use it to defeat the devil. That is why the all-powerful Cross, which benefits everyone, is revered by everyone. The Lord, nailed to it and giving salvation to the world, is the true God and Savior of our souls. All honor, glory and thanksgiving, together with His beginningless Father and the All-Holy and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, is due and must be offered to Him from us. Amen. Translated by P.A. Yungerova – Editorial Board of “ABC of Faith” Creations attributed to St. John Chrysostom and classified in the Minya edition as Spuria. The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith”