In the middle of Great Lent, on the third Sunday, we celebrate the Honorable and Life-giving Cross of the Lord, the Christian sign of victory and Resurrection. In the Gospel, the Lord calls us: Whoever wants to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me (Mk 6:34).
In the Church of St. Nicholas in the Old Town of Kotor, the Archbishop's Vicar of Kotor and Tivat, the parish priest of Kotor, and the Stavrophor Archpriest Nemanja Krivokapić addressed the faithful.
Speaking about the Cross, he asks “is it not an ordinary object made of wood, to which we express our respect” and reminds us of the Second Commandment of God “You shall not make for yourself an idol or any image; you shall not bow down to them or serve them”.
However, the fact that we are not talking about idolatry is also indicated by the fact that the respect for the Cross has been expressed since the first days of the Church.
“The respect for the Cross is, in fact, the respect for the One who was crucified on it and who was resurrected. Therefore, the respect for the Lord our Savior Himself. Just as when we kiss icons, we respect the person (the candle), so, by kissing and respecting the Cross, we kiss and respect the Savior God who, after being crucified, was resurrected and brought us salvation through that object. The Cross is a symbol of Christianity and Orthodoxy precisely because salvation came to man and the whole world through the Cross”, says Fr. Nemanja.
The Resurrection, he emphasized, is the greatest event that has ever happened.
“I recall those words that there is no resurrection without death and that Christ came into the world to save us. And when he suffered, he suffered voluntarily, because it was foreseen and something most significant in the history of humanity was supposed to happen. It was necessary for Christ to be resurrected and thus conquer death and grant us eternal life. On icons and crucifixes, Christ is calm, meek, and there is no visible spasm or pain, because he is the One who conquered death,” says Father Nemanja.
He quotes Gregory Palamas, who, when mockingly asked whether he “celebrates the Crucified One,” says “that I am the one who glorifies the One who was crucified with the Cross and conquered death and granted us life.”
"That's why the Cross is truly a symbol of victory and salvation. That's why all of us Christians wear the Cross around our necks as a sign of the victory of life over death and God over demons, because the Cross is what protects us because it has power and strength. The Cross is the guardian of the entire Universe. The Cross is a symbol of the One who defeated death and gave us the possibility of eternal life. To Him be the glory, amen," said Fr. Nemanja.
Gospel of Mark, beginning 37 (8,34-38; 9,1)
34. And he called the people to him with his disciples and said to them, “Whoever wants to come after me must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? 37. Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 38. For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” 1. And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God has come with power.”