👉🏾👉🏾👉🏾Does the Holy #Cross Deserve #Adoration?
1. Scriptural Foundation for the Adoration of the Cross
The holy Psalmist David declares: “We bow to the place where His feet stood” (Ps. 131:7). If even the ground upon which the Lord set His feet is worthy of reverence, then the Cross on which His entire body was stretched and His blood poured out is infinitely more deserving of honor.
2. The Teaching of the Church
Our Orthodox Church instructs us in the hymn of the Fasting Dgwa: “We worship Your Cross, O Lord, and we glorify You.” This is not poetry only, but doctrine, for the Cross is the very means of salvation. It is exalted in every prayer, every liturgy, and every divine service. There is no act of worship in the Church where the Cross is absent.
3. Why the Cross Is Honored
The Cross is revered because it bore the sacred body of Christ. Upon it He was nailed, upon it His blood was shed, and upon it He triumphed over sin and death. Thus, the Cross is not mere wood, but sanctified by His Passion, transformed into the sign of victory, the banner of salvation, and the seal of the faithful.
4. The Liturgical Celebration of the Cross
The Church celebrates the Cross with two great annual feasts: Megabit 10 and Meskerem 17. Yet beyond these days, the Cross is remembered continually. It is honored every day and every hour, woven into the very life of worship, the rhythm of prayer, and the heart of the faithful.
5. The Testimony of Saint Yared
Saint Yared proclaims: “On this day, the feast of the Cross shines in heaven and on earth, it shines for the nations and for the whole world, bringing peace and joy. Let it always be praised!” The feast is not local but cosmic, celebrated in heaven and on earth alike, declaring Christ’s triumph to all creation.
6. The Meaning of Our Adoration
When we bow to the Cross, we do not adore wood but the mystery it carries the sacrifice of Christ, the triumph of His death, and the power that crushed the devil. To venerate the Cross is to confess the Gospel in its fullest expression: Christ crucified, risen, and glorified.
7. Conclusion and Prayer
Beloved, let us remain steadfast in our love for the Cross, honoring it not with lips only but with lives shaped by its power. May God grant us to understand its meaning, to love its mystery, and to inherit the kingdom prepared for those who remain faithful in His house. Amen.
May the name of the Holy God be praised forever and ever in every tongue that He has created, today and always.
May the blessings of God's mother, the virgin, and the cross be upon us.
Amen.
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