Thursday, September 12, 2019

St. Peter Damian: Sermon for the Feast of the Holy Cross



Wherever the symbol of the Cross is set up, Christ's victory and the devil's subjection are signified. You know that our old enemy won his victory over the first man by means of a tree, and because of that held him and all his issue . . . under the yoke of his tyranny. But the Son came, as a strong man to the race, that He might strive with the powers of the air, and to that first tree opposed another, spewing out through the bitterness of the Cross the poisonous delight of the apple of old. When the first man, tempted by Satan, stretched out his hand to the tree, it was as if he wrote the bond of his unconditional servitude on wooden tablets. But the second Adam, stretching out His hands on the Cross, obliterated the bond of that deadly agreement. By a tree then we were enslaved; by a tree also we have been restored to our pristine freedom. By a tree we were cast out from Paradise; by a tree we are called once more to our native land. And we who because of a tree were regarded as enemies have by the mystery of the Cross been restored to friendship with God and concord with the angels, as the Apostle bears witness, when he speaks of Christ to the Ephesians: For he is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of partition: having abolished in his flesh the enmity, making void even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace, and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the Cross, having slain the enmity thereby [Eph. 2, 14—17]. . .

This emblem of heavenly triumph, by which the world was loosed from the bonds of her ancient captivity, was adored by the Fathers from the world's beginning, and foretold by the Prophets and prefigured on every page of the Holy Scriptures. That which we adore in grace, they venerated in faith. And we now see fulfilled, by the grace of the Mediator, what was prefigured to them in enigmas; what they predicted in spirit we can behold and embrace with our bodily eyes. O wonderful loving-kindness of our Creator! O praiseworthy humility of our Redeemer! He deigned to suffer the pains of a most cruel death, that He might win for us a crown. He chose of His own will, the dreadful torments of the Cross in order to raise us from the yoke of slavery to the kingdom. He did not scorn to be cursed, so that He might free us from the law's curse. He suffered a shameful death to deliver us from the disgrace of everlasting death. So the Apostle says: Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us; for it is written: Cursed is every one that hangs on a tree; that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith [Gal. 3, 13-14]. .

We must mark and most diligently consider, brethren, that our Redeemer first passed over by the Cross and so raised His humanity to the glory of the right hand of the Father. In doing so He gave us an example: where the head goes, the members must follow. We are signed with the Cross on our foreheads; it will avail even more to our salvation if we hold it in our hearts. When the angel of death saw both doorposts smeared with blood, he passed by instead of bursting in. Let no one rely on the mark of the cross on his forehead if he does not show forth the truth of the Cross in his works. St. Paul showed forth the Cross in his behavior most notably, and said: I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. [Gal. 6, 17]

Therefore, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of body or spirit; let us arm ourselves to break the assault of our enemies, the vices, let us counteract the passions of carnal pleasure, and minister lovingly to the needs of our neighbors and suffer injuries in a spirit of charity. Let our souls be free from all the burdens of earthly greed, so that, hurled on wings of holy desire they may forsake the depths and returning to their Maker rest sweetly in His love. Let us despise all that we see and hasten with unceasing labor to that which we believe. This in deed is the cross which we must imprint on all our actions, all our behavior. This is the Cross which we are commanded to bear after the Lord daily. He who carries it truly shares in the passion of his Redeemer. This emblem will separate the sheep from the goats in the last judgement. And the judge, who knows not the wicked, will recognize this mark in His own. Those whom He sees marked with the seal of His own death He will, as a gracious rewarder, invite to partake in the prize of everlasting life: Come, He will say, blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom [Mt. 25, 34] of Him with whom He Himself lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

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