Beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord!
The Third Week of Great Lent is the Veneration of the Cross. On Saturday evening, during the All-Night Vigil, the Cross of the Lord is brought out into the middle of the church, and the faithful venerate it throughout the following week.
Why does the Church offer us to venerate the Lord's Cross precisely in the middle of Lent?
Great Lent is a spiritual journey. By this time, we have already gone through several weeks of abstinence, prayer, and inner struggle. Some begin to feel tired, others find it harder to maintain attention and zeal for spiritual life. And it is at this very moment that the Church places before us the Cross of Christ — as a comfort, as strengthening, and as a reminder of the meaning of our path.
The Cross and the Crucifixion on it remind us that the center of 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 path to Resurrection was opened. Therefore, veneration of the Cross in the middle of Lent reminds us: our Lenten labor 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 in whose shade a traveler can rest during a long journey. We stop to venerate the Cross, to strengthen ourselves spiritually, and, armed with the sign of the cross, to continue our journey.
Venerating the Cross, we recall the sufferings of Christ and the price by which our salvation was accomplished. We learn to accept our own life's cross — difficulties, trials, and worries, with trust in God's Providence and with hope in His mercy. The Cross becomes for us not only a reminder of suffering but also a sign of hope, because the Crucifixion is always followed by the Resurrection.
May this Week of the Veneration of the Cross strengthen us in continuing our Lenten journey. Let us venerate the Lord's Cross with gratitude and prayer, asking God for strength to complete the remaining part of Lent with patience, humility, and hope.
We bow to Thy Cross, O Master, and we glorify Thy holy Resurrection.
