The Cross of Jesus Christ is not merely jewelry, artwork or a decoration for our homes. The Cross is a decision—a daily choice to love God more than ourselves, forgive instead of retaliating, serve instead of being served and remain faithful when the world mocks Christ.

In this homily for the Sunday before the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, we are invited to ask an honest question: Am I carrying my cross, or am I running away from it?

Carrying the cross is rarely dramatic. It appears in the hidden sacrifices of ordinary life: parents surrendering comfort for their children, spouses placing one another’s needs first, students refusing to cheat and Christians enduring ridicule rather than compromising the faith.

The world tells us to protect ourselves, seek comfort and accumulate more. Christ teaches the opposite: lose yourself to find yourself, give and you will receive, and die with Christ so that you may live forever.

The Cross is the measure of God’s love for us. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, Christ was lifted upon the Cross to bring healing to our wounded souls.

What small cross can you embrace this week—an act of forgiveness, a sacrifice, a prayer or a courageous word of truth?

May we glory not in ourselves, but in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!

00:00 Opening
00:26 Glory to Jesus Christ
00:36 Preparing for the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
00:51 What Does the Cross Mean for My Life?
01:11 When the Cross Becomes a Decoration
01:35 The Cross Is Not Jewelry or a Lucky Charm
01:47 The Cross Is a Decision
01:59 Forgive Instead of Retaliating
02:20 What the World Tells Us
02:36 Lose Yourself to Find Yourself
02:56 The Cross Is the Power of God
03:10 Carrying the Cross in Daily Life
03:17 The Cross of Parenthood
03:28 Sacrifice Within Marriage
03:37 Students Standing for the Truth
03:50 Christians Enduring Ridicule at Work
04:05 The Hidden Crosses of Ordinary Life
04:17 “God So Loved the World”
04:26 The Cross Measures God’s Love
04:46 Loving Others as God Has Loved Us
04:59 Preparing for the Great Feast
05:05 Am I Carrying or Avoiding My Cross?
05:19 Decoration or Way of Life?
05:30 One Small Cross to Embrace This Week
05:58 The Cross Is Not Meant to Crush Us
06:09 Moses and the Serpent in the Desert
06:16 Healing for Our Wounded Souls
06:27 Bowing Before the Cross
06:34 Faith, Courage and Sacrificial Love
06:47 A Blessed Preparation for the Feast
07:05 Glory in the Cross of Christ
07:14 Amen

For more please visit https://www.youtube.com/@steliasbyzantinecatholicch5629 & say 3 Hail Marys for the priest

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