The crosses we have in church, at home and on ourselves, and the sign of the Cross which we make on ourselves, are tokens of the salvation we have received through the death of our Saviour on Golgotha two thousand years ago. Saint John of Kronstadt teaches us that the Cross is an eye-opener, a way of life, a spiritual weapon and the very image of the Cross is and has been historically used by God to teach us.
Because of the Cross, love is our way of life
In your home you see love in those around, for they are sealed in baptism and chrism with the cross of love and war the cross. The also partake with you in church of the ‘supper of love’. In church there are everywhere symbols of love: crosses, the sign of the Cross, the saints who were pleasing to God by their love for him and for their neighbours, and Incarnate Love itself. In heaven and upon earth everywhere there is love. It rests and rejoices the heart, like God, while enmity kills the soul and the body. And you must show love, always and everywhere. How can you not love when everywhere you hear love preached, when only the destroyer of mankind, the devil, is eternal enmity!
Because of the Cross, there can be no hatred in our lives
Dislike, enmity or hatred should be unknown among Christians even by name. How can dislike exist among Christians? Everywhere you can see love, everywhere you breathe the fragrance of love. Our God is the God of love. His kingdom is the kingdom of love. Out of love for us he did not spare his Only-Begotten Son but delivered him up to die for our sakes “to be an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:10)
A prayer based on the Cross as an instrument of love
Grant, Lord, that I may ever love each of my neighbours as myself and not be angry with them for any cause, and not serve the devil in this way. Grant that I may crucify my self-love, pride, covetousness, incredulity and other passions. Let mutual love be our name; grant that we may believe and trust that the Lord is everything to us all; that we may not be careful nor anxious about anything; that you, O God, may truly be the only God of our heart and nothing beside you. Let t the be union of love between us as there ought to be and let everything that divides us from each other and prevents us from loving one another be despised by us like the dust trampled under foot. So be it! So be it! If God has given us himself, if he abides in us and we in him according to his own true words, then what will he not give me, what will he keep away from me, of what will he deprive me, how can he forsake me? “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall lack nothing” (Psalm 32:1) “Will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things.” (Romans 8:32) And therefore, my soul, be perfectly at rest and know nothing but love. “This is my command: Love each other” (John 15: 17)
Since the Lord gave us his son, we must give generously ourselves
God did not spare for our sakes even his Only-Begotten Son. How, then, after this can we grudge anything to our neighbour: either food, drink, clothing or money for his various needs? ... If we use these gifts selfishly, avariciously and greedily for ourselves only and grudge them to them, then they become injurious to our soul and body.
The sign of the Cross reminds us that every human being is an image of God
In signing ourselves with the sign of the Cross, with the three fingers w delay the upper end of the /cross upon the forehead as an emblem of God the Father, who is the uncreated Wisdom. The lower end of the Cross on the bosom as an emblem of the Son who was begotten of the Father before all worlds and who is in the bosom of the Father. And the transverse part on the shoulders as an emblem of the Holy Spirit who is the arm or the power of God, or the hand of the Lord, as has been said: “To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” (John 12:38 and Isaiah 53:1) - or “The hand of the Lord was upon me there.” (Ezekiel 3:22) that is, the Holy Spirit..... How great therefore is man It has not been said in vain: “I said, ‘You are gods, you are all sons of the Most High’ (Psalm 82:6). Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are gods’? If he called them gods to whom the word of God came - and the Scripture cannot be broken (that is, if it has been said, then it must be true, immutable) - what about the one whom the Father set apart as his own very won and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’?” (John 10:35 -36). O, the dignity! O, the greatness of man! Do not look upon any man, especially upon a Christian, otherwise than upon the son of God, and receive him as the son of God, converse with him, behave with him as with the son of God, by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Cross reminds Christians that they may not live as pagans
Christian! Remember that Christ, the founder of your faith, was crucified on the Cross and left you the cross. Why then do you live in luxury, in spaciousness, in indulgence, in idleness? He suffered dishonour and commanded you not to shun dishonour for his name; but you seek honour. Gaze more often on the crucified and learn your duties. “And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24)
The Cross and the sign of the Cross have had great power from Old Testament times
The Lord was crucified for us on the Cross. This is the reason why it, as well as the sign of the Cross, have such power. This is why it is life-giving. This is why even in the Old Testament its symbol had such great power. The pole upon which the serpent was set cured those who were bitten by serpents. The cross, traced by Moses’ rod separated the waters; Moses’ hands uplifted in prayer and forming the Cross, conquered Amalek and so on.
By the Cross as well as by the sign of the Cross, the Lord Jesus Christ is ever with us, living and life-giving, and ever acts by means of various powers for our salvation, through our faith in him, our God and Saviour. Glory for this to our Lord who is ever present with us! “I am with you always, to the close of the age. Amen.” (Matthew 28:20)
The sign of the Cross as a reminder to nail our sins to the Saviour’s Cross
In making the sign of the Cross, believe and constantly remember that your sins are nailed to the Cross. When you fall into sin, immediately judge yourself sincerely and make the sign of the Cross over yourself saying: “Lord, you nail our sins to the Cross, nail also my present sin to your Cross and have mercy on me according to your unfailing love” (Psalm 51:1) and you will be cleansed from your sin. Amen.
The effect of the Cross on demons and on the elements
The Cross is in Christ and Christ is on the Cross. The Cross is the image of the crucified Christ, the son of God, and therefore the sign of the Cross and even its shadow are terrible to the demons as the sign of Christ himself, as the shadow of him crucified. Therefore, it is very important to sanctify water by immersing the Cross in it. Through this it becomes healing and drives away demons.
Glory to the never failing power of your Cross, O Lord! When the enemy oppresses me by sinful thoughts and feelings and I, having no freedom in my heart, make the sign of the Cross several times with faith, then my sin suddenly passes away from me, the straightness vanishes and I obtain freedom. Glory to you, O Lord! Lord, let nothing, nothing carnal, material turn me away from you! Let me always be with you!
Do not pay attention to the darkness of satan. Drive it away from your heart by making the sign of the life-giving Cross!
THE IMAGE OF THE CROSS IS AND HAS BEEN USED BY GOD TO TEACH US
In blessings the Church refers to the image of the Cross with great reverence
Why do we honour the cross with such reverence that we make mention of its power in our prayers after asking for the intercession of the Mother of God and the heavenly powers, and sometimes even before asking for that of the heavenly powers? Because, after the Saviour’s sufferings, the cross became the sign of the Son of Man, that is, the cross signifies the Lord himself incarnate and suffering for our salvation. On the Cross, Christ offered himself as a sacrifice to God the Father for our sins and by it he has saved us from the works of the enemy; and this is why we honour it with such great reverence. And therefore, it will always be a great power for believers, delivering them from every evil, especially from the evil actions of invisible enemies.
The meaning of historical miracles concerning the Cross
Why did the Holy Cross appear in the heavens to the Emperor Constantine? In order to show that our Lord himself, also all the apostles and all the army of martyrs entered into glory through the Cross. That the Cross is invincible victory. That as the devil was vanquished by means of the Cross, so also all the enemies of the Cross of Christ or of Christians will be vanquished by the Cross. Also that the devil acts through the persecutors of the Christians and must be conquered by means of the Cross. And that the persecuted Christians are members of Christ, soldiers of Christ who are always under the protection of Christ the Lord and of his Cross.
There is an immediate link between the power of the Cross and that of the Mysteries
If God communicates an invincible, incomprehensible divine power to the life-giving Cross, then why should it be wonderful that he communicates a similar incomprehensible power, in order to regenerate our nature, to the most pure, terrible and life-giving Mystery of his Body and Blood.