Beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord,
The third Sunday of Great Lent is the Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross. On Saturday evening, during the All-Night Vigil, the Cross of the Lord is brought out to the center of the church, and the faithful venerate it throughout the following week.
Why does the Church invite us to venerate the Cross precisely in the middle of Great Lent?
Great Lent is a spiritual journey. By this time we have already passed several weeks of fasting, prayer, and inner struggle. Some begin to feel tired; for others it becomes harder to maintain attentiveness and zeal in the spiritual life. At this very moment the Church places before us the Cross of Christ — as comfort, as strengthening, and as a reminder of the meaning of our journey.
The Cross and the Crucifixion remind us that the center of the Christian life is the sacrificial love of Christ. The Lord walked the path of suffering for the salvation of the world, and through the Cross the road to the Resurrection was opened. Therefore, the veneration of the Cross in the middle of Lent reminds us that our Lenten effort has a goal — Pascha, the victory of life over death.
The Holy Fathers compared the Cross placed in the middle of Lent to a tree under whose shade a traveler may rest during a long journey. We pause to venerate the Cross, to be spiritually strengthened, and, armed with the sign of the Cross, to continue our journey.
As we bow before the Cross, we remember the sufferings of Christ and the price by which our salvation was accomplished. We also learn to accept our own cross in life — difficulties, trials, and burdens — with trust in God’s providence and hope in His mercy. The Cross becomes for us not only a reminder of suffering, but also a sign of hope, because after the Crucifixion comes the Resurrection.
May this Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross strengthen us as we continue our Lenten journey. Let us bow before the Cross of the Lord with gratitude and prayer, asking God to grant us strength to complete the remaining weeks of the Fast with patience, humility, and hope.
Before Thy Cross we bow down in worship, O Master, and Thy holy Resurrection we glorify.
