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THE HOLY CROSS AND MOTHER OF CHRIST   

Though he was in the form of God, he did not deem equality with God something to be grasped at.  

Rather, he emptied himself and took the form of a slave, being born in the likeness of men. 

He was known to be of human estate, and it was thus that he humbled himself, obediently accepting even death, death on a cross! 

Because of this,God highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name above every other name. So that at Jesus' name every knee must bend in the heavens, on the earth,and under the earth,and every tongue proclaim to the glory of God the Father:

JESUS CHRIST IS LORD! (From the letter of the apostle Paul to the Philippians 2:6-12) 

The Crucifixion, Jan van Eyck

The cross is Christ's glory and triumph

Had there been no cross, Christ could not have been crucified. Had there been no cross, life itself could not have been nailed to the tree. And if life had not been nailed to it, there would be no streams of immortality pouring from Christ's side, blood and water for the world's cleansing. The legal bond of our sin would not be canceled, we should not have obtained our freedom, we should not have enjoyed the fruit of the tree of life and the gates of paradise would not stand open. Had there been no cross, death would not have been trodden underfoot, nor hell despoiled.

Therefore, the cross is something wonderfully great and honorable. It is great because through the cross the many noble acts of Christ found their consummation--- very many indeed, for both his miracles and his sufferings were fully rewarded with victory. The cross is honorable because it is both the sign of God's suffering and the trophy of his victory. It stands for his suffering because on it he freely suffered unto death. But it is also his trophy because it was the means by which the devil was wounded and death conquered; the barred gates of hell were smashed, and the cross became the one common salvation of the whole world.

The cross is called Christ's glory; it is saluted as his triumph. We recognize it as the cup he longed to drink and the climax of the sufferings he endured for our sake.

The Lord said when he faced his passion:

"Now is the Son of Man glorified, and in him God is glorified, and God will glorify him at once." 

And again: 

"Father, glorify me with the glory I had with you before the world came to be."  

And once more:

"Father, glorify your name. Then a voice came from heaven: I have glorified it and will glorify it again."

 The glory of which He speaks here is His lifting up on the Cross, for Christ's glory is His Cross and His Exaltation upon it, as He plainly says: "When I have been lifted up, I will draw all men to myself."

Now we can see that the Cross is Christ's glory and triumph.

(From a discourse by Saint Andrew of Crete, bishop)

The cross exemplifies every virtue

Why did the Son of God have to suffer for us? There was a great need, and it can be considered in a twofold way: in the first place, as a remedy for sin, and secondly, as an example of how to act.

It is a remedy, for, in the face of all the evils which we incur on account of our sins, we have found relief through the passion of Christ. Yet, it is no less an example, for the passion of Christ completely suffices to fashion our lives. Whoever wishes to live perfectly should do nothing but disdain what Christ disdained on the cross and desire what he desired, for the cross exemplifies every virtue.

If you seek the example of love: Greater love than this no man has, than to lay down his life for his friends. Such a man was Christ on the cross.

If you seek patience, you will find no better example than the cross. Christ endured much on the cross, and did so patiently, because when he suffered he did not threaten; he was led like a sheep to the slaughter and he did not open his mouth. Therefore Christ's patience on the cross was great.

If you seek an example of humility, look upon the crucified one, for God wished to be judged by Pontius Pilate and to die.

If you seek an example of obedience, follow him who became obedient to the Father even unto death. For just as by the disobedience of one man, namely, Adam, many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one man, many were made righteous.

If you seek an example of despising earthly things, follow him who is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Upon the cross he was stripped, mocked, spat upon, struck, crowned with thorns, and given only vinegar and gall to drink.

Do not be attached, therefore, to clothing and riches, because they divided my garments among themselves. Nor to honors, for he experienced harsh words and scourgings. Nor to greatness of rank, for weaving a crown of thorns they placed it on my head. Nor to anything delightful, for in my thirst they gave me vineagar to drink.

(From a conference by Saint Thomas Aquinas, priest)