WEBVTT

00:00:00.840 --> 00:00:03.600
Dear deacons, brothers and sisters, and children,

00:00:03.859 --> 00:00:09.699
the church puts before us today the reason that

00:00:09.699 --> 00:00:13.919
we are fasting, the reason that we are Christians.

00:00:15.400 --> 00:00:18.300
The cross is here in the middle of the church.

00:00:19.000 --> 00:00:21.760
Of course, it speaks to us about ourselves and

00:00:21.760 --> 00:00:27.239
our life and our world. On the one hand, it tells

00:00:27.239 --> 00:00:31.480
us what a mess we are all in. It tells us about

00:00:31.480 --> 00:00:35.520
it's the revelation of human cruelty and misery

00:00:35.520 --> 00:00:40.240
and suffering and separation and alienation from

00:00:40.240 --> 00:00:43.780
God. But about that, we're going to wait till

00:00:43.780 --> 00:00:48.420
Holy Friday because the tragic side isn't the

00:00:48.420 --> 00:00:52.200
focus today. Last night, the hymns were very

00:00:52.200 --> 00:00:55.219
triumphant about the beauty of the cross, the

00:00:55.219 --> 00:00:57.200
glory of the cross, the strength of the cross,

00:00:57.299 --> 00:01:01.500
the joy of the cross. We even address the cross.

00:01:02.820 --> 00:01:05.299
Rejoice, O life -giving cross. We speak to it.

00:01:05.620 --> 00:01:10.920
Like Christ spoke to the sea and the wind. Is

00:01:10.920 --> 00:01:13.060
it animate? Is it inanimate? Doesn't matter.

00:01:15.659 --> 00:01:19.879
And this brings us to the gospel we heard. The

00:01:19.879 --> 00:01:24.879
point of which is to save us from ourselves.

00:01:27.310 --> 00:01:29.969
The rest of my remarks are borrowed heavily from

00:01:29.969 --> 00:01:33.930
Bishop Irenae of London. In a sermon he gave,

00:01:33.989 --> 00:01:38.989
he says this, Let there be no confusion, no dancing

00:01:38.989 --> 00:01:43.010
around the point. Today the church also places

00:01:43.010 --> 00:01:46.269
before us and spells out for us in plain terms

00:01:46.269 --> 00:01:50.010
the cost, the cost to be called a Christian.

00:01:51.010 --> 00:01:54.840
There's a price to be paid. Christ spoke of it

00:01:54.840 --> 00:01:57.099
explicitly in the gospel that the protodeacon

00:01:57.099 --> 00:02:02.560
just intoned for us, for our benefit. The Lord

00:02:02.560 --> 00:02:05.659
said, those who wish to save their life will

00:02:05.659 --> 00:02:11.840
lose it. But those who lose their life for my

00:02:11.840 --> 00:02:15.939
sake and the gospels will save it. To be a child

00:02:15.939 --> 00:02:20.500
of God, to be a Christian, costs one simple thing.

00:02:21.240 --> 00:02:25.639
Your life. That's all you have to give, actually.

00:02:27.219 --> 00:02:31.099
But you must give it. You don't have to have

00:02:31.099 --> 00:02:34.259
wealth. You don't have to have education. You

00:02:34.259 --> 00:02:36.719
don't have to have social standing or power.

00:02:37.020 --> 00:02:39.819
You don't have to have influence. You don't have

00:02:39.819 --> 00:02:47.919
to have stature or stability. You just have to

00:02:47.919 --> 00:02:51.479
have a life that you are willing to give away.

00:02:52.219 --> 00:02:57.020
Everyone has this. It's the universal reality

00:02:57.020 --> 00:02:59.879
of our human nature that the one thing we all

00:02:59.879 --> 00:03:02.819
possess, whatever else our circumstances might

00:03:02.819 --> 00:03:06.360
be, whatever injustices you might have suffered,

00:03:06.479 --> 00:03:11.400
whatever terrible circumstances that may make

00:03:11.400 --> 00:03:15.800
some people weak and others strong, everyone

00:03:15.800 --> 00:03:19.340
has that, which is required to follow Christ.

00:03:19.460 --> 00:03:25.060
No one is deprived. But we can't follow him without

00:03:25.060 --> 00:03:29.439
giving this, without paying that price. It's

00:03:29.439 --> 00:03:35.159
an exchange. That's why. It's an exchange. He

00:03:35.159 --> 00:03:39.020
who wishes to save his life will lose it. Will

00:03:39.020 --> 00:03:42.080
lose it. He does not say those who wish to save

00:03:42.080 --> 00:03:47.110
their life might lose it. Will. Will. It's a

00:03:47.110 --> 00:03:50.550
vain attempt to think we can work our way into

00:03:50.550 --> 00:03:53.610
self -help by all the alternatives out there.

00:03:53.990 --> 00:03:57.030
The billion dollar so -called health and wellness

00:03:57.030 --> 00:04:00.129
business. That's all about saving myself and

00:04:00.129 --> 00:04:06.870
getting something. And only for this life. Whatever

00:04:06.870 --> 00:04:10.189
benefit might come. It's only for this life.

00:04:10.409 --> 00:04:15.800
True joy. True healing. The acquisition, the

00:04:15.800 --> 00:04:20.519
gift of God's kingdom cannot be acquired by any

00:04:20.519 --> 00:04:23.600
other means than that which Christ lays before

00:04:23.600 --> 00:04:30.600
us today. And he does it completely openly. And

00:04:30.600 --> 00:04:33.439
he does say, there are some standing here who

00:04:33.439 --> 00:04:36.240
will not taste death till they've seen the kingdom

00:04:36.240 --> 00:04:40.959
of God come in power. That's the church. That's

00:04:40.959 --> 00:04:44.110
the communion you're going to receive. You see

00:04:44.110 --> 00:04:46.629
the kingdom of God in power. Not the power of

00:04:46.629 --> 00:04:49.089
this world, no. It's something so humble that

00:04:49.089 --> 00:04:54.189
maybe we just discount it. Look at this cross

00:04:54.189 --> 00:04:59.709
here in the middle. It's a brand new icon that

00:04:59.709 --> 00:05:02.470
the cross is embedded in, by the way. And we

00:05:02.470 --> 00:05:04.410
put it in the middle of the church for a reason

00:05:04.410 --> 00:05:07.310
today. This isn't just some random thing. Oh,

00:05:07.310 --> 00:05:08.730
it would be nice to have the cross out there.

00:05:08.790 --> 00:05:14.029
It's brand new, so. No, this is the way. That's

00:05:14.029 --> 00:05:18.170
why it's here. Now you choose whether you follow

00:05:18.170 --> 00:05:23.329
it or not. No one can force you. God himself

00:05:23.329 --> 00:05:29.069
will stand beside you, weeping with you, waiting

00:05:29.069 --> 00:05:33.290
like the father of the prodigal son, but he will

00:05:33.290 --> 00:05:39.910
not force you. He who wishes to follow me, Christ

00:05:39.910 --> 00:05:44.259
says, must take up his own cross. It can't be

00:05:44.259 --> 00:05:47.379
forced on you. You can't be pressured into it.

00:05:47.420 --> 00:05:49.959
That's not what I'm trying to do by speaking

00:05:49.959 --> 00:05:55.519
to you today. You decide that your life has value

00:05:55.519 --> 00:05:59.079
in being given away. If you want that exchange.

00:06:00.879 --> 00:06:03.819
And not just given away generically, but given

00:06:03.819 --> 00:06:07.620
to the God who will do with it wonderful things,

00:06:07.720 --> 00:06:12.360
beautiful things. People are frightened to give

00:06:12.360 --> 00:06:15.779
away their life because they feel that they're

00:06:15.779 --> 00:06:18.120
losing something they possess. How foolish we

00:06:18.120 --> 00:06:21.160
are to think that we have possession of our souls,

00:06:21.339 --> 00:06:27.220
our life. Can any one of us control what comes

00:06:27.220 --> 00:06:31.480
later today? Can you possibly know it? Can any

00:06:31.480 --> 00:06:34.040
one of us, Christ says, by worry or by intention

00:06:34.040 --> 00:06:38.639
or by plan or by design or any other contrivance?

00:06:40.330 --> 00:06:45.269
Piously motivated? Or otherwise? Can anyone add

00:06:45.269 --> 00:06:48.230
a single day to his life? Can anyone stop the

00:06:48.230 --> 00:06:51.629
suffering? Can anyone know that there'll be a

00:06:51.629 --> 00:06:56.149
tomorrow in which to make a better choice? No

00:06:56.149 --> 00:06:59.889
one can. Who are we to think that we possess

00:06:59.889 --> 00:07:02.509
the souls and hearts and lives that we have,

00:07:02.589 --> 00:07:05.870
that we have been actually given from God? So

00:07:05.870 --> 00:07:10.310
why do we so foolishly cling to them? Why are

00:07:10.310 --> 00:07:13.089
we so afraid to give them to the God who made

00:07:13.089 --> 00:07:17.629
them? We're frightened because we're full of

00:07:17.629 --> 00:07:22.769
passions, impulses, compulsions, and we are sinful.

00:07:23.329 --> 00:07:27.670
We have debased ourselves as humans rather than

00:07:27.670 --> 00:07:31.790
be shining images and likenesses of God himself

00:07:31.790 --> 00:07:35.220
like the saints are. We have debased ourselves

00:07:35.220 --> 00:07:38.639
by becoming self -centered. And rather than grow

00:07:38.639 --> 00:07:41.420
angry with us and impatient with us and frustrated

00:07:41.420 --> 00:07:45.579
with the incredible capacity of our human nature

00:07:45.579 --> 00:07:50.600
to be dense and thick and not see what lies before

00:07:50.600 --> 00:07:55.639
us, Christ in his infinite patience and love,

00:07:55.839 --> 00:07:59.180
because the cross reveals his love, places again

00:07:59.180 --> 00:08:02.660
and again and again before us the signs of redemption.

00:08:03.529 --> 00:08:07.069
and all the invitations over and over again.

00:08:07.170 --> 00:08:10.550
And here today, in our midst, is this cross.

00:08:10.629 --> 00:08:15.029
But not just the cross, but one that is decorated

00:08:15.029 --> 00:08:19.550
so beautifully with branches and flowers and

00:08:19.550 --> 00:08:23.769
leaves so that it is beautiful. So that when

00:08:23.769 --> 00:08:27.350
you look at the cross, you see the power of this

00:08:27.350 --> 00:08:31.490
cross to create beauty. It's from a tree, after

00:08:31.490 --> 00:08:35.210
all. flowers, plants, these are the signs of

00:08:35.210 --> 00:08:39.409
birth and growth. This is so that we don't look

00:08:39.409 --> 00:08:42.389
at the cross as a thing of sorrow or grief or

00:08:42.389 --> 00:08:49.610
despair, no longer a punishment, but that you

00:08:49.610 --> 00:08:52.250
were reminded, as we were reminded last night

00:08:52.250 --> 00:08:55.009
at the matin service, that through the cross,

00:08:55.269 --> 00:09:00.929
joy has come to the world. We sing that every

00:09:00.929 --> 00:09:04.909
Saturday night. Through this cross, my brothers

00:09:04.909 --> 00:09:07.870
and sisters, joy comes to your world if you will

00:09:07.870 --> 00:09:10.889
let it. Through this cross, joy will come into

00:09:10.889 --> 00:09:13.470
your heart if you will simply give your heart

00:09:13.470 --> 00:09:17.090
to God. Through this cross, you can say, I am

00:09:17.090 --> 00:09:22.730
yours, Lord. Make me more fully your own. Say

00:09:22.730 --> 00:09:25.269
to him, if you are filled with doubts and fear

00:09:25.269 --> 00:09:28.809
and wonder about what we're doing, say to him,

00:09:28.809 --> 00:09:32.409
as did the apostle. as did the man with the son

00:09:32.409 --> 00:09:37.110
who was ill. I believe Christ. Help me in my

00:09:37.110 --> 00:09:42.110
disbelief. If you love him but are afraid, say

00:09:42.110 --> 00:09:46.169
to him, I love you, Christ. Take away my fear.

00:09:47.149 --> 00:09:51.669
Don't hold back. Give him what he needs in order

00:09:51.669 --> 00:09:57.889
to make your life whole. The cross is... Also

00:09:57.889 --> 00:10:00.850
here in the middle of the church on this Sunday

00:10:00.850 --> 00:10:05.389
so that you have to walk past it to receive communion.

00:10:06.190 --> 00:10:10.049
You become part of a little living icon by walking

00:10:10.049 --> 00:10:14.090
with the cross as you approach Christ who sanctifies

00:10:14.090 --> 00:10:16.690
us through the cross. And this is the life that

00:10:16.690 --> 00:10:19.210
awaits us. This is the grace that he provides

00:10:19.210 --> 00:10:22.450
today for those who are ready. Those who have

00:10:22.450 --> 00:10:24.730
prepared themselves through fasting, through

00:10:24.730 --> 00:10:27.289
repentance, through prayer, through a recent

00:10:27.289 --> 00:10:32.049
confession. Take up that cross and receive the

00:10:32.049 --> 00:10:36.070
body and blood of the one who died upon it. And

00:10:36.070 --> 00:10:40.309
he will give you strength to overcome every foe,

00:10:40.309 --> 00:10:45.190
every obstacle, every spiritual and worldly trouble.

00:10:46.250 --> 00:10:49.789
He won't take those away from you, but you will.

00:10:50.220 --> 00:10:54.519
not only endure, you will flourish. And for those

00:10:54.519 --> 00:10:57.200
of you, the catechumens, who are preparing for

00:10:57.200 --> 00:11:00.039
holy illumination during this sacred period,

00:11:01.019 --> 00:11:04.840
the inquirers, the learners, those who are not

00:11:04.840 --> 00:11:07.120
yet receiving communion, don't feel that you

00:11:07.120 --> 00:11:10.059
are being deprived of something. No, you're being

00:11:10.059 --> 00:11:13.340
prepared for something. Watch. Watch as those

00:11:13.340 --> 00:11:15.500
who have been made worthy by Christ's blood to

00:11:15.500 --> 00:11:18.440
draw close to him. Let it inspire your own hearts

00:11:18.440 --> 00:11:21.419
with deeper fervor as you take up your cross.

00:11:21.539 --> 00:11:24.039
And at the moment God blesses you through his

00:11:24.039 --> 00:11:31.440
wisdom and his grace, that you can give him your

00:11:31.440 --> 00:11:34.419
life by being plunged into the waters of baptism

00:11:34.419 --> 00:11:39.120
and chrismated with the holy oil. You will know.

00:11:40.840 --> 00:11:45.120
The strength of the cross. One saint says, you've

00:11:45.120 --> 00:11:47.379
been anointed with holy chrism on your forehead.

00:11:47.659 --> 00:11:51.200
It's the demons that are afraid of you now, not

00:11:51.200 --> 00:11:55.000
the other way around. Give him your life by dying

00:11:55.000 --> 00:11:58.059
to the world and all that you have as yours now

00:11:58.059 --> 00:12:00.940
that he may give you a new life, an exchange.

00:12:01.899 --> 00:12:04.980
He will show you a new world. He will give you

00:12:04.980 --> 00:12:09.990
grace and gifts and peace of heart. that you

00:12:09.990 --> 00:12:14.389
can't fathom, you can't explain, and you don't

00:12:14.389 --> 00:12:18.470
have to. May God give us strength, bless us,

00:12:18.690 --> 00:12:22.049
and keep us through his precious cross, now and

00:12:22.049 --> 00:12:24.029
to ages of ages. Amen.