Sweden’s Metropolitan: Our Savior Jesus Christ himself, who ascended the cross, calls us to a life and freedom and love
Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden and All Scandinavia spoke about the upcoming feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
Considering the feast, Metropolitan Cleopas said that “One of the psalms of today’s feast calls us all – priests and laity – to venerate the Holy Cross with joy and fear. Relying on these two inner states, which at first sight appear to be opposites, the sacred hymnographer of the Church invites us to stand before the cross of our Lord with feelings of elation and reverence”.
Consequently, he emphasized that “the hymnographer exhorts us to approach the holy cross with reverence, because it was on this instrument of punishment, which was considered shameful in that era, that Christ the God-man, who is without sin, willingly attached himself and suffered the most painful and humiliating condemnations so that he could wash away our sins”.
Afterwards he remarked that “Our mortal mind cannot interpret the mystery of the sacrifice of the incarnate Logos, any more than it can understand His kenosis or self-emptying as we call it in English, and His humility. Therefore, the only way to approach this unique event of divine condescension and love is through fear and joy.”
Finally, Metropolitan Cleopas emphasized that “Fear and joy reveal the deeper meaning of the mystery of the cross, which symbolizes the concept of χαρμολύπη, which can be loosely translated to mean sweet sorrow or happiness mixed with sorrow. It refers to the spiritual state that reflects or should reflect the Orthodox the permanent ethos of Christian mentality and Orthodox Christian truth. Let us not forget that the cross has a prominent position in the life and faith of Orthodox Christians. It is depicted in our iconography, it is displayed in our churches and it is shaped by the faithful everywhere during prayer.”
Read below the entire sermon by Metropolitan Cleopas
“Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ,
We gathered today, on this solemn and glorious feast day of our Lord to celebrate the universal exaltation of the holy and life-giving cross, so that we may together profess our common faith in Christ, the giver of life, and partake of the cup of life. On today’s feast, the Church invites us to venerate the Holy Cross, as the faithful did in the time of St. Helen, who discovered it, and, under the guidance of the Patriarch Macarios, identified it so that it could be raised before the people, who gathered to venerate it.
One of the psalms in today’s feast calls us all – priests and laity alike – to venerate the Holy Cross with joy and fear. Relying on these two inner states, which at first sight seem to be opposites, the sacred hymnographer of the Church invites us to stand before the cross of our Lord with feelings of elation and reverence.
At first with joy, as the cross serves as the source of Christ’s victory over the demonic powers and death, while also becoming the instrument of salvation and hope for mankind. But the veneration of the cross must also be conducted with a sense of fear. Here the term fear has a theological meaning. It does not refer to the emotional state caused by any danger or threat. It refers to the fear that overcomes the human soul when events and circumstances in life exceed human limitations and abilities, causing the soul to be overcome with wonder, surprise, and awe.
Turning our attention back to the aforementioned hymn, the hymnographer bids us approach the holy cross with reverence, because it was on this instrument of punishment, which was considered shameful in that era, that Christ the God-man, who is without sin, willingly applied himself and suffered the most painful and humiliating condemnations that he might wash away our sins. He willingly accepted to endure this deep pain, which was the end result and consequence of human failure.
The passion of our just and compassionate Lord, which He voluntarily endured for the salvation of mankind, naturally evokes a feeling of fear. Our mortal mind cannot interpret the mystery of the sacrifice of the incarnate Logos, just as it cannot understand his kenosis or self-emptying as we call it in English, and his humility. Therefore, the only way to approach this unique event of divine condescension and love is through fear and joy.
A medium that helps us understand Christ’s amazing contribution and gift to all humanity is today’s festive hymns, as well as the prescribed fast, which is similar to Good Friday. In this way, the proper climate is created to enable the believers to come to the realization that Christ’s voluntary sacrifice of himself is not an ordinary event, nor can it be explained in human terms.
My dear brothers, fear and joy reveal the deeper meaning of the mystery of the cross, which symbolizes the concept of χαρμολύπη, which can be loosely translated to mean sweet sorrow or happiness mixed with sorrow. It refers to the spiritual condition that reflects or should reflect the permanent ethos of orthodox Christian mentality and orthodox Christian truth. Let us not forget that the cross has a prominent position in the life and faith of Orthodox Christians. It is depicted in our iconography, it is displayed in our churches and it is shaped by the faithful everywhere during prayer.
The frequent act of crossing ourselves during all our services is not something we do mechanically, nor is it lacking in substance. On the contrary, it expresses the two internal states that every faithful Christian experiences or should experience. Χαρμολύπη is our ethos, our life.
Saint Silouan would say that the cross of the Lord gives hope and the ability to overcome the hell of failure, because it opens opportunities for us to observe life and experience it, overcoming hell and Hades.
Let the Lord’s words in our daily struggle ring clear and triumphant: “In the world you shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Moreover, we must not forget that even the simplest faithful Christian expresses the state of χαρμολύπη through the sign of the cross.
I express the humble desire that we may all receive spiritual joy from today’s feast, because we all confess that: “behold, through the cross joy has come to the whole world.” Let us all glory in Christ, as the apostle Paul did: “but God forbid that I should glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal 6:14).
This is a boast made not out of feelings of selfishness and pride in being superior to others, but because our Savior Jesus Christ himself, who ascended the cross, calls us to a life and freedom and love. As we venerate the Holy Cross, let us repeat the words of the holy hymnographer and cry: “O Cross of Christ, save us by your power!” Amen.”