As I indicated in the last issue of the Eastern Herald, the Church’s New Year is marked by the celebration of two major feasts: the Nativity of the Mother of God (September 8th) and the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14th). Of the two feasts, of course, the feast of the Exaltation is given greater emphasis by celebrating the event both prior and subsequent to the feast itself. The Saturdays and Sundays before       and after the feast are dedicated to remembering the Exaltation of the Cross.

This liturgical emphasis tells us that the Church would have us understand that Christ’s voluntary death on the Cross should have intense meaning for us. It not only expresses God’s absolute love for us but also conveys an important lesson that we are meant to learn from His life.

How does the Cross convey God’s love? It tells us that God was willing to do everything possible to tell us that Jesus, God   Himself Incarnate, came to teach us not only how to live but also how to die. One has to admit that Jesus, although His death was filled with pain and anguish, died with grace and nobility. He did not   allow the hatred of others to quell His love for others. He also did not regret the life He led. He saw death as a part of life and embraced the death that life presented to Him. The love He is said to have expressed to others even during His suffering reveals how greatly God loves us, His children.

What is the important lesson that the Cross is meant to teach us? That lesson is multi-dimensional. First, if we truly believe, we do not have to fear death. Jesus showed us by His belief in the love of the Father, that death does not have to be feared. It is only one part of this earthly existence and is the means to allow us to progress to the next stage of life. Death has a meaning! It signals the end of one sequence of learning and opens the door to the next stage of spiritual development. That is why it always comes   unannounced to each of us and in a manner that is least expected.

Second, that if we tap into God’s Spirit within us, we will have the power to endure all things. There is nothing that can destroy the life-force within us.

Third, God is with us in all the events of life, even death. We are never, ever  separated from Him. It is all a matter of us recognizing that He is a part of our life.

Last, one of the important lessons of this earthly life is to understand the meaning of death. Death challenges us to think about what we really believe! Do we truly believe in life-after-death? Is life immortal? It is truly immortal if we believe that human life is a sharing in God’s own life.

What do you really believe?