The Measure of Our Lives - Fr. Gregory - March 19, 2023

Today in the Orthodox Church is the Sunday of The Holy Cross. It marks the mid-point of Lent. The Church places the Cross of Jesus Christ before the faithful for refreshment and encouragement. The Gospel lesson comes from Mark 8:34-38;9:1. Therein, Jesus says, if we wish to come after Him, we must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow. Father Gregory shares two types of crosses Christians take up in life. The first is involuntary crosses, which we do not choose for ourselves but carry. The second is a voluntary cross similar to the one Jesus and 11 million martyrs took up. Orthodox Christians should voluntarily take up the cross of our enemies and the unrighteousness. Through disciplines of fasting and almsgiving, we can learn to make even involuntary crosses voluntary and measure our lives by the Cross of Christ.