Today someone avouches that bringing the cross is a waste of energy, that it’s needed to get rid of this and be like others.

The Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross is about to continue. It goes on special this year. War rages, many sufferings are around.

We must look differently at our life and the cross which Christ puts on each of us. It’s incredibly heavy this year, and there’s the desire to get rid of it.

Each of us wants to have happy life, career, prosperity, authority, comfort and to be good christian at the same time. It was possible to combine at proper time.

But now it’s time to make a choice.

Christ said to his apostles: «… any man has a desire to come after me, let him give up all, and take up his cross every day, and come after me».

Almost nobody among saints had happy life, by our terrestrial standards. All of them put Christs’ commandments into life. They were persecuted for the truth. They were abused and backbitten. And not because they searched sufferings for sufferings. It’s just impossible for christians to live in another way.

Definitely, to bring your cross is hard. Cross is judgement from people, derision, expulsionand even killing. Loyal people to our Christian Church suffer all of these now. But he who endured to the end will be saved. God gifts to those the great award — the His Kingdom.

Today someone avouches that bringing the cross is a waste of energy, that it’s needed to get rid of this and be like others. Saviour doesn't force anybody.
You can putt the cross off anytime, leave at the path — and for hostile world you will be well-connected. But where does it call up us to?
Today we’re demanded to get something done in church life too. It’s only needed to agree — and, as it’s stated, persecutions will stop. And we will receive society’s respect.

But this pursuit of «authority and respect» is the way to God’s Kingdom? Will this appertain the Christs’ words: «If any man has the desire to come after me, let him give up all other desires»? No. Our life is similar to obstacle race. And there’s temptation to avoid them, but not to overcome. The way, directing to death, is wide, and the way, directing to eternal life, is narrow.

Those who will keep their cross, who will endure to the end, will be saved. As it’s said in Holy Scriptures: be strong in purpose and unmoved, ever giving yourselves to the work of the Lord, because you are certain that your work is not without effect in the Lord.