The Cross of Sacrifice

Armodoxy for Today: The Cross of Sacrifice

The Cross is the main symbol of Christianity. We erect them atop holy shrines, churches, hospitals, and sacred spaces. We have tiny version of the cross around our neck, pinned to our lapel, and even decorate clothes. The Cross, a symbol of torture and death, was transformed by Christ, into a symbol of victory and life. Jesus conquered the Cross and the empty cross is a symbol of victory, and today we add, it is also a symbol of Sacrifice.

For the last few days, we’ve been diving into the Feast of the Apparition of the Holy Cross and leading up to the glow, or what St. Cyril of Jerusalem described as brighter than the sun. With the theme of Sacrifice, we get closer to finding that brightness.

The central act of worship in the Armenian Church is in the Sacrament of Holy Communion. What other communities refer to as the Divine Liturgy, in Armenian is called Pataraq, literally meaning Sacrifice.

Sacrifice is how love is demonstrated. St. John the Evangelist tells us God is Love. (IJohn 4:8). God is demonstrated through Sacrifice. Take some time to think about this for a moment. Meditate on sacrifice. We have many human examples of sacrifice. Parents – a mother and/or father’s love is expressed through sacrifice of personal time and personal pleasure to tend to the needs of the growing child. Spouses express love to one another by sacrificing, especially through the act of forgiveness, which is a unique type of personal sacrifice. Think of those who put their life on the line for the sake of higher ideas, including community and country safety and welfare. Take some time to think of these examples of sacrifice and how they demonstrate love.

Continue your meditation on Sacrifice. God sacrificed his son as a gesture of His immense love for us. That is what is meant by the most sacred words, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son…” (John 3:16) In this meditation understand that Sacrifice is the verb. It’s in the giving – God gave his son. That action is love.

Now, understand that the word Sacrifice is a descriptor and the name for the Divine Liturgy. In the Armenian Church. It is the Pataraq and it is celebrated every Sunday. (Note: No lambs were slaughtered for this exhibition.)

Today we leave with a meditation from the Gospel of St. John. It is essential to understanding the Cross and the apparition of the Cross in this lesson. In this passage, Jesus defines Sacrifice with a simple metaphor, a metaphor which emphasizes an action: unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor. (John 12:24f)