Saturday before the Sunday of the Cross

Saturdays are days of rest, the seventh day, when the Lord rested from all His works (according to the narrative at the beginning of the book of Genesis) and most especially when He, the unique and unreapeatable incarnation of the pre-eternal Word of God, the crucified God-man, Jesus, rested in the new tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. On the annual commemoration of this blessed sleep of the Savior, Great and Holy Saturday (4/26 this year) we hear the ancient French hymn, "Let all mortal flesh keep silent and in fear and trembling stand; ponder nothing earthly minded ..." A sabbath, indeed.

On this Saturday, I have the joy of travelling to another Orthodox parish in a nearby city to hear a retreat given by a priest who was a great help to me in my younger years. He will be speaking on the topic of the Precious and Life-giving Cross. I will be resting on his every word. May it be blessed!

The Precious Cross. That word, "precious," has really changed in common usage. It used to connote treasure and value, now it means frail and prissy. I think Gollum got it right in The Lord of the Rings, although the object of value for him was an abominable thing. Nonetheless, whatever we come to worship becomes "our precious." Hmm, I smell a homily around here somewhere ...

Well, consider this for the middle of Great Lent, from the newly minted "Orthodox Study Bible (Thomas Nelson, 2008), under the heading Continue to Persevere:

But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated: ...

Therefore, do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. for you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, my soul has no pleasure in him. -- Hebrews 10:32ff.