Homily by Fr. Taras Gorpynyak on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ!

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, on which our Saviour, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was crucified. On this cross, He died, sacrificing Himself for the salvation of mankind, but on the third day, He rose gloriously. And we understand that the cross and the resurrection are inseparable, just as in life, where joy is intertwined with sorrow.

Jesus Christ came into this world to save us. In the Gospel we read that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Because of the original sin of Adam and Eve, the door to the Kingdom of God was closed to people, but through the sacrifice on the cross of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, this door is open to us again, and after physical death, people can enter the Kingdom of God again and be with the Lord God forever.

Our salvation, our entry into eternal life, is possible only through cooperation with God. Christ opened the door to the Kingdom of Heaven for us, but we must also make an effort to enter it. Faith is followed by deeds. They testify to our faith and strengthen it. At the same time, the deeds of faith that a Christian performs with diligence inevitably reveal his inadequacy and weakness, prompting him to seek salvation not in himself but in Christ. And hope does not put us to shame, because Christ became incarnate and came to earth, died and rose again in order to save us from destruction and give eternal life to those who believe in Him.

See also

September 29 The 50th anniversary of the Church of Our Lady of Protection was celebrated in Adelaide May 31 Homily by Fr. Taras Gorpynyak on the Seventh Sunday after Easter February 15 Homily by Fr. Taras Gorpynyak on the Sunday of the Prodigal Son