Why is it necessary to “carry your cross”, what does this mean? What does it mean to “carry your cross”

Bear the Cross High. Patiently and consistently endure trials, suffering, and vicissitudes of fate. She did not leave his side for a minute; wherever she could, she poured in words of consolation, most often prayed and carried her cross with the humility of a Christian.(Herzen. Elena).

Phraseological dictionary of the Russian literary language. - M.: Astrel, AST. A. I. Fedorov. 2008.

See what “Carry the Cross” is in other dictionaries:

bear the cross- withstand, endure, bear your cross Dictionary of Russian synonyms ... Dictionary of synonyms

Carry your cross- Carry your cross. Wed. You are oppressed by the knowledge that you carried the social cross precariously, receiving donations from fifteen profitable places. Nekrasov. Contemporaries. 2. Heroes of time. Wed. I bear my cross without grumbling: Both this and this are punishment. M.Yu.... ...

bear your cross- Wed. You are oppressed by the knowledge that you carried the social cross precariously, receiving donations from fifteen profitable places. Nekrasov. Contemporaries. 2. Heroes of time. Wed. I bear my cross without grumbling: Both this and this are punishment. M.Yu. Lermontov. Valerik. Wed. Where… …

CROSS- husband. roofs, two strips or two bars, one across the other; two lines crossing one another. The cross can be: straight, oblique (Andreevsky), equal-ended, long, etc. The cross is a symbol of Christianity. According to the difference in confessions, the cross is venerated... ... Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary

Cross- This term has other meanings, see Cross (meanings). This article or section needs revision. Please improve the article according to the rules... Wikipedia

Cross -- euro clav. Crucifixion. Cross. Crucifixion. The word cross, lat. “crux” originally meant a pillory or a pillar of torment, which could have a different shape. Among some * ancient peoples, criminals were tied to a pole by the hands above... ... Dictionary of Biblical Names

CROSS (BIG)- ♠ A test from which you will emerge with honor. Iron, be adamant and be patient. Wooden simplicity of solutions is the key to success. Golden you will gain the support of an influential person. Silver you will find... ... Big family dream book

cross- (inc.) worldly disasters, fate The cross is heavy, but it must be borne. God imposes the cross according to his power. Wed. For some, life is just a toy, for others, life is a heavy cross. Book P.A. Vyazemsky. Notes. See bear the cross... Michelson's Large Explanatory and Phraseological Dictionary

Cross- Cross (foreign) worldly disaster, fate. The cross is heavy, but it must be borne. God imposes the cross according to His might. Wed. For some, life is just a toy, for others, life is a heavy cross. Book P. A. Vyazemsky. Notes. See Bear your cross... Michelson's Large Explanatory and Phraseological Dictionary (original spelling)

Carry your cross. Heavy cross- This is what they say about someone’s difficult fate, severe suffering. This expression arose on the basis of the Gospel legend about Jesus carrying the cross on which he was to be crucified (John 19, 17). Dictionary of popular words. Plutex. 2004 ... Dictionary of popular words and expressions

Books

• The Royal Way of the Cross of the Lord. Many people often ask questions: why do certain troubles happen to them, why are sorrows sent to them? The book “The Royal Way of the Cross of the Lord” answers these questions. In it... Buy for 396 RUR
• The royal path of the Lord's Cross, leading into Eternal Life. Many people often ask questions: why do certain troubles happen to them, why are sorrows sent to them? The book “The Royal Way of the Cross of the Lord” answers these questions. In it...

Many people know the expression “carry your cross.” People who use it probably also have an idea of ​​the meaning of the phraseological unit. For those who have never heard of it and would also like to get acquainted with the history of its origin, this article was written.

Christ's Path to Calvary

Let's start with the origin. Naturally, this expression (“carry your cross”) refers us to the biblical story of how the Son of God was condemned to death. Jesus, as we know, carried his own cross. His path was difficult and painful, but he still mastered the road and drank the bitter cup to the bottom. This is the origin of the expression “carrying your cross.” The meaning of the phraseological unit will be revealed further.

Meaning

For example, a person is not going through the easiest period in his life. Everything somehow came together at once. Each of us experiences a state when we don’t want to live. And then a friend or acquaintance, trying to cheer up the hero, says to him: “Be strong, old man, you need to courageously bear your cross.” The meaning of a phraseological unit is clarified by considering its origin.

In principle, if you read the story about Christ directly (not the whole story, of course, but only that part of it where there is a path to Golgotha), then in general, such support can completely turn sour. For Jesus, everything ended in tears: he delivered the instrument of his torture, then died an indecent death for that time on the cross (this is how only slaves ended their lives in those distant times).

Indeed, if you think like that, then everything is dim. But there was also the ascension. Thus, Christ suffered not senselessly, not absurdly, but for the sake of a great goal - to save all humanity, to give himself as a sacrifice for the sins of people.

Of course, for someone who knows the Russian language well, but has not heard anything about biblical history, the expression “carry your cross” (the meaning of the phraseological unit is in the process of being revealed) will only seem to be a symbol of courageously enduring difficulties and suffering. He will read exactly this meaning from this saying, because the people around him believe this way.

Purifying Fire of Suffering

But not everything was so optimistic for the prophet himself. When Christ preached, he sacredly believed in what he said. However, having gone through all the trials, even he doubted himself, his faith and even God. No wonder on the cross Jesus exclaimed: “Father, why have you forsaken me!”

Many books have been written about this phrase and different researchers try to interpret it this way and that. But one thing is certain: it proves that the feat of Christ provides a certain standard for human courage in general. Because in fact, when he was carrying the cross and experiencing terrible suffering, he still did not know whether the Father would save him or not. That is why the meaning of the phraseological unit “to bear the cross” (the expression and image of a suffering prophet) calls not to grumble at fate, but to steadfastly endure its blows, no matter how long they last.

Suffering, pain, various sorrows make existence meaningless - such is their nature. A person must resist the loss of meaning and remember the feat of Christ, regardless of whether he believes or not. Let him imagine that Christ was a simple son of a carpenter, who, by mistake (false denunciation), was crucified on the cross.

And here the meaning of the phraseological unit “to bear the cross” (this expression is stable in the language) acquires not only everyday, but also ethical, highly moral meaning.

And still we need to end somehow positively. Perhaps the fact that Christ suffered much more when he made the way of the cross is not enough for some. Such readers are quite understandable.

Suffering as a factor in personality development

Suffering is an important factor in human development. Without it, personal maturity is impossible. Suffering has a non-religious meaning. They help a person cut out his real self, cutting off everything unnecessary. And like any other, an operation of this kind is very painful.

To the question of what it means to “carry your cross,” you can answer this way: it means silently enduring hardships, problems, sorrows, without complaining about fate. Another thing is why? After all, you need a higher goal in order to move on. But here, at this point, each person makes his own choice.

Everyone carries their own cross

A generation passes and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. The sun rises, and the sun sets, and hurries to its place where it rises... All rivers flow into the sea, but the sea is not overflowing: to the place from which the rivers flow, they return to flow again... What was, that will be, and what has been done will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun(Book of Ecclesiastes)

The origin of the phraseology “to bear one’s cross” is due to the New Testament

14 Then it was the Friday before Easter, and it was six o’clock. And Pilate said to the Jews: Behold, your King!
15 But they shouted: Take him, take him, crucify him! Pilate says to them: Shall I crucify your king? The high priests answered: We have no king except Caesar.
16 Then at last he handed Him over to them to be crucified. And they took Jesus and led him away.
17 And, bearing His cross, He went out to a place called Skull, in Hebrew Golgotha;
18 There they crucified Him and two others with Him, on this side and on the other, and in the midst of Jesus(Gospel of John, chapter 19)

30 And they spat on Him and took a reed and beat Him on the head.
31 And when they had mocked Him, they took off His scarlet robe, and clothed Him with His own garments, and led Him away to be crucified.
32 As they went out, they met a certain Cyreneite named Simon; this one was forced to bear His cross.
33 And coming to a place called Golgotha, which means: Place of Execution...
38 Then two thieves were crucified with Him: one on the right side and the other on the left.

26 And when they had led Him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene who was coming from the field, and they laid a cross on him to carry after Jesus.
27 And a great multitude of people and women followed him, weeping and lamenting for him
28 Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem! do not weep for Me, but weep for yourself and for your children....,
32 They led two evildoers with Him to death
33 And when they came to the place called Skull, there they crucified Him and the evildoers, one on the right and the other on the left.

21 And they forced a certain Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, who was coming from the field, to carry His cross
22 And they brought Him to the place of Calvary, what? means: Execution place
23 And they gave Him wine and myrrh to drink; but He didn't accept
24 Those who crucified Him divided His garments, casting lots as to who should take what.
25 It was the third hour, and they crucified Him

To smooth out the contradictions, the Church came up with the idea: Jesus did carry the cross, and when he was exhausted, they called Simon to help him

Synonyms for the expression “carry your cross”

• Tolerate
• Suffer
• torment
• suffer

The use of popular expressions in literature

— « Oh, how they understand each other. No, it is not easy for them to bear their cross. Gloomy fate brought them together with an unbearable specimen"(L. Zorin "Jupiter")
— « Know how to bear your cross and believe. I believe, and it doesn’t hurt me so much, and when I think about my calling, I’m not afraid of life."(B. Akunin “The Seagull”)
— « She, that is, I, says to Treplov: “Now I know, I understand, Kostya, what’s in our business? does it matter whether we play on stage or write? The main thing is not words, not brilliance, not what I dreamed of, but the ability to endure. Know how to bear your cross and believe. I believe, and it doesn’t hurt me so much, and when I think about my calling, I’m not afraid of life"(E. Markova "Renunciation")
— « So, should I get a divorce or bear my cross?..” (“Yu. Bezelyansky “In the Gardens of Love”)
— « Verushka became foggy. - Everyone must carry their cross, Imre. Society does not forgive desertion"(Yu. Nagibin “The Brilliant and Sorrowful Life of Imre Kalman”)

The primary source of this expression is the Bible.
The Gospel of John (I like it more than others) says that Jesus himself carried the cross on which he was to be crucified (chapter 19, v. 17): “And carrying his cross, he went out to a place called Execution, in Hebrew Golgotha.”
Allegorically, this means patiently fulfilling one’s duty or responsibilities; courageously endure the blows of fate and its adversities.

As a child, I heard a parable on this topic, which I really liked:

One man came to God and said:
- Gospol, I know that everyone must bear their own cross, but mine is too heavy for me... Don’t you have something lighter?
“Okay,” God answered, “let’s go, you can choose for yourself.”
They entered a huge room where there were a lot of crosses - just solid crosses, of all types and sizes. The man walked around for a long time, chose, tried on, and finally chose one: a nice cross, comfortable, light and very small in size.
- Well, this cross is just for me! - he said to the Lord.
To which God replied:
-You chose your cross!

***
There is a French song on this topic:
Les croix
Mon Dieu, qu"il y en a des croix sur cette terre
Croix de fer, croix de bois, humbles croix familiars
Petites croix d'argent pendues sur des poitrines
Vieilles croix des couvents perdues parmi les ruines

Et moi, pauvre de moi, j"ai ma croix dans la tête

Mon Dieu qu"il y en a sur les routes profondes
De silencieuses croix qui veillent sur le monde
Hautes croix du pardon dressées vers les potences
Croix de la déraison ou de la délivrance

Et moi, pauvre de moi, j"ai ma croix dans la tête,
Immense croix de plomb vaste comme l"amour
J"y accroche le vent, j"y retiens la tempête
J"y prolonge le soir et j"y cache le jour

Mais moi, pauvre de moi, j"ai ma croix dans la tête
Un mot y est grave qui ressemble à "souffrir"
Mais ce mot familier que mes lèvres répètent
Est si lourd à porter que j"en pense mourir

Translation:

Crosses
Lord, how many crosses are there on this earth,
Crosses made of iron, crosses made of wood,
Modest familiar crosses,
Silver crosses hanging on the chest,
Old crosses of monasteries, lost among the ruins...

Lord, how many of them are there on long roads,
Quiet crosses that watch over the world,
Tall crosses of forgiveness facing the gallows
Crosses of folly or deliverance.

And I, poor me, poor me, I have my own cross*
A huge leaden, heavy cross, wide as love,
I attach the wind to it, I hold back the storm with it,
With it I prolong the evening and in it I hide the day.

And I, poor me, poor me, I have my own cross
The word is engraved on it, similar to "suffer"
But this is a familiar word that my lips repeat,
It's so hard to carry that I think I'll die from it.

Another parable on this topic:

Two people walked, each carrying his own cross, but one constantly grumbled and asked God to lighten the burden, and the other carried it with humility, although he himself was bowing under the weight of the cross.
The first one asked with tears, and the Lord lightened his burden more and more, the cross became smaller and smaller; and the second one endured.
And now they came to a deep abyss. The one who was carrying a heavy large cross placed it over the abyss and easily crossed to the other side, and the second had a cross so small that he could not cross it and fell into the abyss...

And another parable - a variation on the same theme:

One day a man, constantly dissatisfied with his life, asked God:
- Why should everyone carry their own cross? Can't You give me a lighter cross? I'm tired of everyday difficulties!
And this man has a dream. He sees a line of slowly walking people, and each one carries his own cross. And he himself also walks among these people. He was tired of walking, and it seemed to the man that his cross was longer than the others. Then he stopped, took the cross from his shoulder and sawed off a piece from it. It became much easier to walk, and he quickly reached the place where everyone was heading. But what is it? There is a deep abyss in front of him, and only on the other side does the land of Eternal Happiness begin. How to get there? There is no bridge or masonry visible around.
The man noticed that the people walking with him easily crossed to the other side. They took their cross off their shoulders, threw it over the abyss, and crossed over it like a bridge. Only he couldn't cross. His cross was too short. The man cried bitterly, saying: “Oh, if only I knew”...
When he woke up, he no longer asked the Lord for a lighter cross.

Here is a parable about a woman who did not want to bear her cross.

One woman really didn’t like the life she had to lead. She constantly grumbled at God, saying: “Why, God, are you forcing me to bear this cross, I don’t want to, it’s not convenient for me. Can’t you give me something better?”
At night she had a dream. She walks through the city and drags a huge cross on her. She goes and complains to everyone about how miserable her life is and that she doesn’t want to bear this cross and why God put this burden on her. The woman saw a church in front of her and decided to take her cross there and hand it over to the priest. She walked in and suddenly saw that there were other different beautiful crosses in the church. She put her cross against the wall and went to choose another one. The first cross she saw was all made of pure gold, it sparkled majestically in the sun, demonstrating its dignity to everyone. The woman decided that this was her cross, it was the one she had been dreaming about for so long, it was the ideal of her imagination. She approached the cross and began to reconcile how to take it, but no matter how much effort she made, they were all in vain. The cross turned out to be very heavy. All the woman managed to do was shake the cross a little and it fell with its entire mass on her, almost crushing her.
The woman moved away from this cross, wiped the sweat from her forehead and thought: no, this is not the cross that I need, it is too heavy for me. I’ll go and see if there’s anything else here that’s more suitable, easier.
Another good cross immediately caught her eye. It looked much lighter than the first one, but was not inferior to it in beauty. It also sparkled in the sun, because it was all smeared with honey. “What a beautiful sweet cross,” the woman thought. “With such a cross I will never be lost, and I will live like Christ in my bosom.”
Hoping that her search had finally been crowned with success, the woman energetically approached the cross and placed it on her back. Everything would have been fine, but the cross turned out to be slippery from the honey with which it was covered. He tried to slip off his back, which made carrying him very difficult. The poor sufferer constantly corrected him, getting her hands pretty dirty. After many attempts, the woman had to give up the honey cross; she realized that life does not become sweeter from the sweet cross. But even after she put this cross aside, her problems did not end; all her clothes and her hands were stained with a viscous mass. Now whatever she touched stuck to her, leaving dirty stains on her clothes. Hands very quickly became dirty due to the dust that covered the unsightly church utensils. “What a bad idea I came up with to take this cross into my own hands,” the woman thought. “Surely there are more worthy crosses here than this “messy one.”
Peering into the twilight of the church, she really saw a cross that immediately allowed her to forget her two previous failures. This cross could not leave even the most callous person indifferent. It was covered with flowers all from its very base to the top. Such a variety of colors can melt the stony heart. The woman of duty did not dare to approach this masterpiece. She looked at him from afar, imagining how she would walk with him around the city, and how people would be surprised and envy her, saying: “This is beauty. It’s amazing how lucky some people are.” She imagined how her house would change if she brought this beautiful, incomparable cross there. And the smell. The cross exuded a subtle, refined scent. In this smell, the woman recognized everything dear and valuable that every person strives for.
Filled with dreams, the woman approached the flower cross and confidently extended her exhausted hands towards her dream. But pain shot through her body, clearing away the sweet fog in her head. Under the flowers on the cross there were sharp poisonous thorns that tore her flesh, bringing hellish torment. The woman tried to feel a place on the cross where there were no thorns, but the entire cross was covered with ominous thorns along its entire length. Not believing that the dream was slipping out of her hands, the woman tried again and again to grab the cross and the sharp “claws” of the flowers dug into her body and soul more and more painfully. Completely exhausted, she collapsed on the floor, bleeding red blood.
What a nightmare was going on in the martyr’s head. Everything that she had previously built in her imagination collapsed in one minute. Not only did her dreams collapse, but the very meaning of life seemed distant and incomprehensible.
The woman’s dirty, bloody body refused to obey. As if frames of a silent movie flew through her head the last half hour that the woman spent in the church. She had to make a lot of effort to get up and take the first step towards the door.
Approaching the wall, the woman took the first cross she came across and trudged home doomedly. She was surprised how comfortable and light this cross was for her. Having placed it on her back, she sadly strove outside into the fresh air. Only a breath of fresh, pleasant air allowed her to finally fully comprehend what had happened to her. But the biggest shock to her came when she saw that the cross on her back was the same cross with which she came to church.
And there was nothing more valuable and beloved for her than this cross.

Here is how Metropolitan Kirill explains the meaning of the expression:

Jesus said to His disciples: “If anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me, for whoever wants to save his soul (that is, life) will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will he will find it” (Matthew 16:24-25).

Speaking about His upcoming sufferings, about the Cross and death, the Lord simultaneously emphasizes that an indispensable condition for following Him is also a person’s picking up and carrying his own cross. Why does this image of the cross suddenly appear? What was the cross in the Roman Empire? It was an instrument of a common, but special method of execution. The cross meant not only a painful and terrible execution, but was a symbol of deep shame and humiliation. In other words, the cross represented the fullness of pain and human suffering, an image of the combination of physical and moral torment, a sign of death itself.

However, in the word of the Savior, the cross suddenly appears in an amazing way as a kind of commandment to man, as a moral duty of everyone who wants to follow their Lord and Teacher. What is the cross in the gospel understanding? First of all, this is reality, the original given of our existence, which is present in the life of every person and does not depend on his will. There is no need to look for your cross, you don’t need to invent it specifically for yourself, because it already exists in our lives.
This is suffering and pain that are generated by circumstances beyond a person’s control, which he cannot overcome.

Taking up the cross means accepting the sorrowful circumstances of life, enduring and overcoming the trials sent, not falling under their burden, not letting them crush you. When a person gains faith in Christ, it amazingly increases his inner strength. How?

The Lord does not just say: “Take up your cross and follow Me,” but “Deny yourself and take up your cross...” This is a very important condition for a person to acquire the internal spiritual strength necessary to bear his cross.
A person's ability to bear the cross is nothing more than an expression of inner strength.

Well... it’s as if the cross already exists, which is directly stated in the text, all that remains is to renounce yourself, and then everything will be. To be honest, as a modern person and almost a psychotherapist, it is not entirely clear to me how this works, because millions of people who have given up on themselves are just looking for themselves in order to gain the necessary resources to “carry the cross.” But despite the misunderstanding, I believe that this is so, because everyone has their own path. Someone renounces himself and bears the cross, someone - the Star of David, and someone finds himself along with a source of strength, for we are all children of God in the image and likeness, and in each of us everything already exists from the beginning...

It turns out there are other opinions about this expression. Quite curious and non-standard.

For example, this:
"The World of Psychics"
Does everyone have the same cross? It turns out not. There are those whose life task is twice as difficult as that of other people. There are people who carry two crosses of their own.
These are people born on the border of the zodiac signs, or those who do not know the date of their birth, or there are two dates of birth - the true one and another indicated in the documents.

For people who carry two crosses, the task of life is much more difficult than for everyone else. Such people always live under greater stress, both moral and physical, often choose dangerous work, enter into dangerous relationships, and are exposed to greater risks in their activities. What can I advise such people to make their life more enjoyable? Do several things, have a lot of hobbies, communicate with people of different interests, then the two crosses will not press, increasing the pressure in the soul and creating dangerous situations, their energies will begin to be realized.

Elena Baldina:
A person carries two crosses in the case when he did not complete a task in his previous life, but there is no time to complete it, he did not have time, then the karma count goes to him - that is, they “hang” the previous part of the unfulfilled task and the new one. ... I know people like this in real life....

The point of view of the coach of the swimming department of the Volgograd Physical Education Academy, Mikhail Chernov (excerpt from an article by N. POLYAKOVA).

– What do you think the phrase “Carry your cross” means? – Mikhail Petrovich asked me.
- Nothing good, in my opinion. I remember Jesus Christ going to Golgotha ​​and carrying a huge cross on which he will be crucified...
- But no. The fact is that the essence of human construction is precisely the cross. The vertical line is the spine, which in the East is also called the “antenna of peace.” And horizontal – shoulders, arms. And all the vital organs are located exactly along or at the intersection of this “cross”. Therefore, to carry your cross is to walk with your spine straight and your shoulders turned, that is, ensuring that the shape of the cross is correct. And it is desirable that the vertical line, that is, the spine itself, really strive upward, and this can only be achieved when the entire human figure is taut, flying, directed upward. After all, the purpose of people is the connection of earth and sky... When a person walks with a slouch, he blocks the main energy channels, compresses the nutrition of many organs, and over time begins to get sick.
“Everything is wonderful, but most people rarely walk the streets with their shoulders turned and their heads raised proudly.” And they rarely want to jump with delight - all sorts of problems and negative emotions push them to the ground...
- Yeah, let's start with the key thing - how to tune in to the positive? We are used to thinking that even minor negativity is bad. But in fact, these are just “landmarks” on our road of life, which show or once again confirm that we should not move in that direction, it is dangerous. Why cry and reproach yourself if you just took a step or a few in the wrong direction? Well, sometimes you get lost, accept this result and move on, in the other direction. This is about life results. The second point is pain. We are spoiled and believe that any pain is also bad. But in fact, the body simply signals: “Don’t do this, it’s uncomfortable for me, it’s dangerous!” We “shut it up” with painkillers. The body has no choice but to work in emergency mode, and then suddenly - a heart attack, stroke, ulcer, diabetes, hypertension... And like one, all the patients, when they come to the doctor, say: “Nothing seemed to hurt, but here. ..” When there is more clarity in the mind and body, these are the roots of security!

***
And here's another one. For me this statement is a real revelation:

When a person... follows the straight path, there is no cross for him. But when he retreats from him and begins to rush in one direction or another, then different circumstances appear that push him back onto the straight path. These shocks constitute a cross for a person.
Venerable Ambrose of Optina (1812-1891).

I like the last opinion the most. Somehow it immediately fits easily and simply with all my life experience and acquired knowledge, and does not raise any doubts or desire to refute...

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO “CARRY YOUR CROSS”? Carrying your cross means choosing not what works out, not what is easier, but what is better. What pleases God, what is in conscience, what benefits one’s neighbor. Carrying the cross is primarily an internal matter. The Lord most of all denounced external, ostentatious piety and pharisaism. The Kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21). There were two thieves with the Savior on Golgotha, physically they suffered equally, and most importantly, faith, humility, repentance - that is, salvation - was inside. You can carry your cross in thoughts and feelings. This is a very important part of our spiritual life - the struggle with thoughts. Do not judge anyone even in your thoughts, but pray. Don’t let loose, don’t be capricious, don’t get irritated, but endure. Don’t even scold the weather... Don’t be offended, but accept reproaches and repent. Do not say too much, but remain silent. Don't be stubborn, but give in. Don't be discouraged, but rejoice. To choose all the time, constantly the good part, which is not taken away (Luke 10:42), will go with us into the future life. When we don’t get angry, don’t fight back, don’t snap, don’t pout, don’t even think anything in our own defense, don’t condemn anyone to ourselves, when we suffer, endure – even the smallest thing – that’s a lot. We do not abandon our cross. We live. Every moment of this suffering is like pure gold of the soul, like precious grains of holiness - Christian, evangelical, heavenly life - already on earth. It’s a pity that we’ll keep quiet and keep quiet, and then we’ll express everything. Let’s be patient, let’s be patient, and then we’ll break down. We don’t seem to think, we don’t judge, we try with all our might to see at least a share of our guilt in everything - and then old and new grievances roll in again, and we feel sorry for ourselves, and the infirmities of our neighbor are so obvious... And - they stopped enduring, and not thinking, not talk, and all the work is in vain, everything is destroyed in one fell swoop, the cross is no longer there. He became proud and came down from the cross. He condemned and came down from the cross. He gave up enduring it and came down from the cross. You can endure for a very long time, and then come down from the cross instantly. The devil, of course, always wants to make us come down from the cross. So they said to the Savior: Come down from the Cross (Matthew 27:40). He does everything for this: if only they get irritated, condemn, weaken, give up fasting, prayer, guarding the mind, heart, tongue... Repent - and take up the cross again. There is no other way. Carrying the cross - like life itself - can only be constant. Therefore, the Apostle Paul commanded us: Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in everything (1 Sol. 5:16-18). The cross can only be carried with God's help. That’s why Father Nikolai Guryanov asked: “Lord, have mercy, Lord, forgive, Help me, God, to carry my cross.” The cross must be carried to the end. He who endures to the end will be saved (Matthew 10:22). He who is faithful in little is also faithful in much (Luke 16:10). Life flows in small things, it seems, but the choice itself is the main thing in the course of our lives. It is all made up of this choice - just as years and the whole life are made up of minutes, this determines its quality. A good choice is the path of life. When we bear our cross, we really live, we walk the path of Eternal Life. The cross is the way to Heaven. Cross – Life-giving. It can be very difficult to be faithful to your cross. Even when our little suffering is required - for example, to remain silent in response to some falsehood, mistrust, coldness, indifference, irritation, or to respond calmly, kindly - it can be difficult. Swallow, be patient. Not physical suffering - but just this kind of suffering of the soul - it can be very great, even if we are not talking about something important: some offensive, maybe very offensive (for us) little thing (if you look at it from the outside ). This kindness is bearing the cross. But even if there is “poisonous slander” (according to Lermontov), ​​even if there is obvious injustice: for example, they attributed to you some low intentions that you did not have, you even had some lofty considerations - and this can be tolerated, bear it like a cross, like suffering, and remain silent, do not open your mouth (Ps. 37:14). Humble yourself, say to yourself: wasn’t it such a thing that you thought something bad, but no one guessed about it? Yes, as much as you like! But did this injustice suit you? Carry the other one too. Hasn't it ever happened that you once thought, talked about someone, perceived someone worse than they are? Surely it was, now you can feel what it was like for them. Even betrayal, any sin of others, can be suffered in a Christian way, turning it onto oneself: this is the pain I caused by doing this, and even worse, to my neighbor. Bear each other's burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ (Gal. 6:2). Not a single person treats you worse than you are, because not a single person has looked into or measured your sinful abyss - only the Lord knows about it. What kind of love of God is: to know everything about us, to the bottom - and yet to love us much more than we love each other, to endure, to forgive endlessly... To suffer for us! And above all, to suffer from our lack of love: towards God, towards each other, from our boundless ingratitude. The cross is truth, it is wisdom. Sin, pride is the acceptance of the devil's lies, this is stupidity. The cross is something that is above all earthly considerations and earthly justice. He rises and lifts us above the ground. You have to reach out to him. The cross is a miracle, something unearthly on earth, in the simplest circumstances, in fasting. These are the heavenly fruits of earthly efforts. Passions cannot be persuaded, convinced, pinched - you can only crucify the flesh with passions and lusts (Gal. 5:24). The passion of gluttony is crucified by fasting. Pride - humility, patience. This is painful for pride. But there is no other way to deal with it. Only by carrying the cross. Without fasting, without the cross, there is no true faith. “The Russian people are one of those few peoples who love the essence of Christianity, the cross,” wrote the French historian Leroy-Volier, “they have not forgotten how to appreciate suffering; he perceives its positive power, feels the effectiveness of redemption and knows how to taste its tart sweetness.” Joys, pleasures, comfort, which in our time are elevated to the rank of the highest values ​​of life - they actually cost nothing, they do not create anything, they are consumed - and that’s all. But the carrying of the cross creates, builds life, prevents the spread of evil, it is precisely this that does not give way to it - by not giving back, not transmitting evil further, not multiplying it, but extinguishing it in itself, suffering. Deny yourself, take up your cross (Mark 8:34) - this gospel call is the most important secret of life, revealed to us by the Lord. The Lord, the Creator of life, revealed to us how He created it. This truth is not obvious to us, sinful people, it is the opposite of what is seen from the outside, what carnal wisdom, the so-called “common sense” sees. “Common sense” believes that the more a person acquires, receives, the more he has, the richer he is. But it’s not he himself who has, it’s just what surrounds him, it’s what’s outside of him: clothes, furniture, money... Even the food he eats doesn’t penetrate his soul, but only his body, but a person is - it is first of all his soul. But his soul is enriched in a different way. It's built differently. It is organized according to the Gospel. The Lord, her Creator, knows about this. And He tells us that when a person cares about acquiring goods, his soul, that is, he himself, becomes poor, becomes empty, and is left with nothing. But when we reject ourselves, overcome, give something, forgetting about ourselves, we do not consider that “we have the right to our own piece of happiness,” we do not think about human “justice” (unattainable for us due to our ignorance - incomparability for us people), then a miracle, revealed to us by the Lord, happens to the soul: the soul is enriched, filled, revived, strengthened, brightened, and draws closer to God. We carry our cross - and therefore we become like the Savior, our small cross unites with the invincible Cross of the Lord, mysteriously takes its power. That is, everything happens the opposite of how this world, adulterous and sinful, sees life (Mark 8:38). He suffers from egoism - and that’s what he hopes for, that’s what he clings to, he doesn’t want to, he doesn’t dare to give up on it. Afraid that he will lose himself. And he is losing more and more. There is no need to be afraid, since the Lord Himself calls us to this. He is the giver of every good. He will help. Come what may. The great thing is determination. Don't be afraid to lose - you will find. Self-denial is the secret of love. Love is a mystery. True love is self-sacrifice: the other is more important to you than yourself. And then you begin to truly be. Without love you are not in this world, you are closed in on yourself, you are a consumer. Without love there is no person, no family, no Church, no country. Love is life, without love there is no love, life has no meaning. Fasting teaches us to deny ourselves, not to do everything only for ourselves, for our own pleasure, in our own way, not to indulge ourselves even in small things, starting with the choice of dishes. Don’t be distracted by any unnecessary things - for example, look who is walking outside the window (what’s the difference? Well, let’s say Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov - what do you care?) Fasting seems to take something away from us: don’t eat this, don’t do that... And in fact, it gives us much more - and, most importantly, it strengthens the soul, teaches it to deny itself. And then we experimentally discover for ourselves how much this holy time gives. As the wise Gogol said, who sang the Great Lent back in St. Petersburg: “I will not give up my sorrowful moments for any happy ones.” This can be explained even to children: when you yourself ate an apple or candy, your mouth and your body rejoiced. But when you gave away, gave an apple or candy to someone else, even if you yourself would like to eat it, your soul rejoiced. But our soul is more important than our body, and its joys are higher, more joyful. The soul is the most important thing in us. There is also another cross - illness, adversity, sorrow, unfair insults. And it can also be carried, or it can be dragged. You can thank God for your trials, or at least repeat over and over again: “I accept what is worthy according to my deeds.” And you can endlessly be cowardly, grumble, repeat incessantly: “Why do I need all this?!” Forgetting that whatever the cross that was sent to us, it is all the same - the tree from which it is made grew on the soil of our heart. And forgetting that the Lord transformed him from an instrument of execution into an instrument of salvation. Not only His Cross, which once stood on Golgotha, but also each of our small, barely noticeable crosses. The path of a Christian is always bearing the cross. This is not the path of convenience and comfort. What do we wear on our chests? No other sign, namely the cross of Christ. And he reminds us every day that the road to our resurrection lies only through the cross. We often grumble, unable to bear the weight of life’s difficulties, but the Lord Himself knows what we are capable of and what we can bear, what will be useful to us at a given time. I think a Christian parable about crosses can tell this better. One man decided that his life was too hard. And he turned to God with the following request: “Lord, my cross is too heavy and I cannot bear it. All the people I know have much lighter crosses. Could You replace my cross with a lighter one?” And God said: “Okay, I invite you to the storehouse of crosses: choose your own cross.” A man came to the storage room and began to try on crosses for himself. And they all seem too heavy and uncomfortable to him. Having gone through all the crosses, he noticed a cross at the very entrance, which seemed smaller to him than the others, and said to God: “Let me take this cross, it seems to me the most suitable.” And then the Lord answered him: “After all, this is your cross, which you left at the door before you began to measure all the others.” Lent is Great not only in duration, but also in its spiritual content, in its spiritual depth. The cross reveals to us the essence of fasting: it is a very small, completely feasible deprivation for us, but in essence it is participation in something great: in the suffering of the Savior. The highest suffering, more precious than all human suffering, and the most acute, like the suffering of insulted love (for example, the love of a mother insulted by children), is the suffering of the Savior, incommensurable with any of our human suffering, even the most powerful. The child's suffering for his parents. The suffering of the innocent for the guilty. The suffering of a pure sinner for the sins. The suffering of parents who see their children doing stupid things from which they will later suffer... This is our relationship with God all the time, only immeasurably stronger. How we need to reverently kiss the Cross of the Lord - the Cross of His suffering for us, the purest, incomprehensible suffering, not mixed with anything sinful, with any of our human weaknesses of the soul. The cross is brought out for us to worship in the middle of fasting - reminding us both that fasting is a feat and that the Resurrection lies ahead. Priest Nikolai Bulgakov