The Cross
Pope Shenouda III speaks about the cross as the foundation of Christian life, and not only as the wooden cross on which the Lord Christ was crucified.
The cross has therefore become a symbol of every suffering that is endured for God and for the love of others, whether this suffering is willingly accepted or comes to a person against his will.
He emphasizes that the Lord Christ made carrying the cross a condition of discipleship, and that whoever wants to follow Him should deny himself and carry his cross.
He also explains that the Lord Christ Himself carried the cross throughout His life through poverty, hardship, persecution, insults, and suffering before being crucified on the cross.
The lives of the apostles and the early Church show that carrying the cross does not mean that God has abandoned a person, because grace, divine care, and divine protection can exist together with suffering.
Spiritual Message
The cross reminds the believer of redemption, salvation, God’s love, and His giving of Himself for humanity; therefore, the Church gives the cross an important place in her prayers, feasts, rites, and sacraments.
Making the sign of the cross is a declaration of faith in the cross, redemption, and salvation, and a remembrance of the Holy Trinity, the Incarnation, and God’s work in moving humanity from darkness to light and from destruction to salvation.
The cross also reminds the believer of the power of Christ that defeated Satan; therefore, the sign of the cross should be made with faith, reverence, and attention, rather than mechanically without feeling or faith.
The cross also reminds us of the Second Coming of Christ, as it points to the sign of the Son of Man that will appear in heaven.
Educational Lesson
The cross teaches us that faith is not merely intellectual knowledge, but enters into the whole life of a person, with both body and spirit participating in it.
For this reason, the Church uses the sign of the cross in the holy sacraments, in blessings, and in the believer’s daily life, while children also learn the faith through making the sign of the cross even before they are able to fully understand all its meanings.
Pope Shenouda explains that carrying the cross includes bearing with others, controlling oneself, and accepting hardships and trials without complaining, while enduring what God permits in a person’s life.
Practical Spiritual Application
The believer should carry his cross with inner joy, not with a spirit of complaint and grumbling, because the body may become tired while the spirit is refreshed through fellowship with God.
One form of carrying the cross is to bear patiently with those who trouble us at home, at work, or in society, and to share in the sufferings of others rather than simply watching them from a distance.
The cross also calls a person to give himself for others, to carry their burdens, help them, and lighten their difficulties, following Christ who gave Himself for the salvation of the world.
A life that carries the cross is a life that brings together suffering and joy, hardship and inner peace, because laboring for God and for others can become a source of blessing and spiritual joy.
Therefore, the cross is not merely an outward sign, but a life lived in faith, love, patience, giving, and fellowship with Christ.
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