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Veneration of the Holy Cross Ocala 3-11-07 1. Today is the midpoint in Lent. The Faithful have traveled the first half of the Lenten journey, and now we continue to ascend and complete our spiritual journey toward our goal, to crucify ourselves with Jesus, as one of the hymnographiers wrote, so that we may share in the Glory of His Resurrection. It is so unfortunate, that so many confine their Lenten journey strictly to the external, that is, the abstention from certain foods, Thus, the deeper and most important significance, that is the galvanizing of our soul, the discipline of self, so as to make us masters over ourselves, we bury under the ashes of the externals. But the Church will always continue to apprise us, to waken us from our spiritual lethargy, through which we are pelf-condemned. If Christians would take the time to delve to our mission and destiny, and to comprehend, how the Church paves the road of true happiness and salvation, we would thoroughly agree, that everything the Church specifies, is veritable and wise, with a positive purpose for our own good.Very wisely and significantly our Holy Church, making use of this wisdom, titled this Sunday in mid-Lent, as the Veneration of the Holy Cross. It was thus charted, to bring us closer to the Lord's Sacrifice on the Cross, His shedding His most precious Blood to wipe away our sins for all eternity. The reminder of the Cross is like telling us: "do not weaken. Receive courage from the Holy Cross, regenerate your power to receive renewed strength from the Lord's Sacrifice, and rest assured that you will emerge victorious over yourselves, resulting finally in the fullness of participation of the Lord's Resurrection. " Having then completed the first half of our Lenten Journey, rest assured that our journey will be completed with the power of the Holy Cross. The three hymns during the Celebration of the Holy Cross heard minutes ago attest to this. We shall receive a carnation to take home with us, symbolic of the Blood of our Lord and just as the flower blossoms, in like manner the Christian virtues should blossom in our life. Today's brief, but so replete with meaning Gospel reading speaks to us about our soul, to which the Lord gives the most possible supreme worth, in contrast to those who have exchanged their soul for the material objects of this world, or have annihilated it. In today's reading the Lord asks: "What can one give in exchange for his own soul?" And the answer should be: "Nothing would I give or rather accept as an exchange for my soul! Not even the world's wealth aggregately. "The soul, to which many do not think about, the Lord gives it supreme importance and significance. The soul is our most precious possession, regardless if so many give it in exchange for some part this world, whether it be money, glory, power or the like. That's why the Lord continues His teaching by stating: "For what shall it profit a person if he or she would gain the whole world at the cost of one's soul?" When we seriously think about it, we shall agree that the whole world does not measure up to one soul, whether it is housed in a healthy body or one that is in a seriously ill person. To the question, "what can a person give in exchange for his or her soul," the Christian replies, "Nothing, not even the whole world!" Conversely the avowed materialist responds that the soul has no worth whatsoever, and that the body, if we were to analyze it chemically to estimate its cost, i t would be less than one dollar! Unfortunately, today's reality, is just what I mentioned. The Christian unshakeable belief of the immeasurable worth of one soul, as opposed to the materialist who considers the soul worthless. A proof of this point is the Supreme Sacrifice of our Lord on the Cross. The atheistic materialist on the other hand, proved that human life is worthless by the barbaric, inhumane treatment of others, as for instance, the horrible concentration camps of world War II, and the torture and horrific deaths of countless thousands in the hands of ruthless Dictators throughout the world! What a crying shame it is that so many do not take the time to properly estimate the height to which Christianity has placed every individual, and how so many have chosen to debase themselves, wallowing in the contaminated swamps of sin. Does not our Lord rightfully ask: "what can a person give in exchange for his own soul?" To this question, each Christian is in a position to personally supply the answer. Amen. +George Papadeas
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