And here is another example. In 1992, love for Christ gathered pilgrims from all over the world to Jerusalem for the celebration of the Bright Resurrection of Christ. And the holy fire in the lamps had not yet been extinguished, but in the hearts of the trembling miracle of the descent of God's grace and the joy of Paschal Sunday, and Paschal week, as a single day, rejoiced in the Church of God, and the blasphemous, impudent heart, breathing malice, was already preparing an act of terrible blasphemy. On Saturday of Bright Week, a criminal hand uprooted the Holy Cross, which had stood on Golgotha for centuries. But God is not mocked. Blasphemers swear to themselves. The Lord beholds this struggle from the height of His glory, and the invincible victory – the Cross of Christ – until the last day of the world, until the day of the glorious and terrible Second Coming of the Lord, is given to the faithful as a weapon against enemies, visible and invisible.

And the appearance of the Lord of Glory on earth will be revealed only by the great sign in heaven of the Cross of the Lord, which will be seen by all the peoples of the earth, which everyone will see. They will see, and weep, and tremble.

And this will be the third greatest appearance of the Cross on the eve of the appearance of the Savior at the Last Judgment.

Let us, dear ones, strengthen our thoughts by the life-giving power of the Cross of Christ, let us direct our reverent attention to it, and above all, on this day of its feast, let us lift it up and glorify it in our souls and bodies; let us bow down before the Cross in the tenderness of our hearts and in contrition of spirit, for it is impossible to worthily glorify both the incomprehensible power and the majesty of the Cross of the Lord.

And in order to be at least a little ready for us to perceive this incomprehensible phenomenon, the Holy Church commands us by her Ustav: "On the day of the Exaltation of the Cross, we dare not touch cheese, eggs, or fish," since the veneration of the Cross consists in the mortification of the flesh.

Merciful Lord, by the invincible and Divine power of Thy Cross, preserve, bless and save us! Amen.

September 14 (27), 1993