“The Cross is the guardian of the universe. The Cross is the beauty of the Church.”

But why do Christians speak this way about an instrument of torture and death?

This homily for the Exaltation of the Holy Cross confronts the mystery of suffering directly. The Crucifixion was not beautiful because cruelty, injustice, and death suddenly became good. Evil remains evil.

And yet, from the greatest injustice ever committed—the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ—God brought forth redemption.

That is the scandal of the Cross.

St. Paul speaks of the Cross as foolishness and a stumbling block to the world. How could good possibly come from something so cruel?

Yet through Christ, the wood of the Cross becomes like the wood cast into the bitter waters of the Old Testament:

“This wood can make the bitterest waters sweet.”

The Cross does not pretend suffering is painless. It does something greater: it reveals that suffering, sorrow, grief, and even death do not have the final word.

God can bring beauty out of tragedy.
Love out of hatred.
Grace out of suffering.
Life out of death.

Christ entered directly into the heart of sin, cruelty, hatred, and murder—and revealed the power of God precisely there.

That is why Christians continue to elevate the Cross.

Glory to Jesus Christ!

#ExaltationOfTheCross #HolyCross #CrossOfChrist #ChristianSuffering #WhyGodAllowsSuffering #CatholicHomily #ByzantineCatholic #EasternCatholic #JesusChrist #Redemption #ChristianHope #CatholicFaith #SensusFidelium

00:00 Opening
00:26 Glory to Jesus Christ
00:29 The Cross: Guardian of the Universe
00:43 Glory of Angels & Slayer of Demons
00:57 The Decorated Cross
01:15 Looking Closely at the Cross
01:43 The Cross Is Not Pretty
01:58 An Instrument of Torture
02:10 Even a Serene Crucifix Shows Suffering
02:36 Why Do Christians Glorify the Cross?
03:04 The Great Mystery of the Cross
03:24 Why Does God Allow Suffering?
03:33 When Good People Suffer
04:11 St. John Paul II on Suffering & Evil
04:25 Evil Remains Evil
04:50 Why Does God Permit It?
05:07 Creation Has Suffered Since the Fall
05:40 Why Is the Cross Glorious?
05:47 The Absurdity of the Cross
05:58 The Cross as Scandalon
06:08 Celebrating a Wrongfully Killed Man?
06:33 Can Good Come From Senseless Killing?
06:44 The Good That Came From Calvary
07:07 Beauty From the Crucifixion
07:23 The Wood Cast Into Bitter Waters
07:45 The Cross Makes Bitter Waters Sweet
08:00 God Brings Good From Evil
08:14 A Modern Example of Tragedy and Truth
08:40 Pray for Those Who Suffer
08:51 The Scandal Becomes Hope
09:08 God Creates Beauty From Suffering
09:24 The Cross Takes Away the Serpent’s Venom
09:36 The Sting of Death Is Broken
09:50 Foolishness—or the Power of God?
10:13 Christ Entered the Heart of Evil
10:33 Why Christians Elevate the Cross
10:57 Glory to Jesus Christ
11:12 Sponsor Message

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

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