CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST YET ALIVE IN HIM

CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST YET ALIVE IN HIM

Fr Luke A Veronis

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me,” (Gal. 2:20) Saint Paul proclaimed.

“If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me,” (Mark 8:34) declared our Lord Jesus.

We hear two of the most challenging and life-defining passages in all of Holy Scripture in today’s readings for the Sunday after the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Both passages point to the same reality: true life in Christ requires death to ourselves. The Cross is not only His—it must become ours.

As Christians, we give our lives over to Christ. Our life is not our own! This is a hard concept for us to grasp. Especially as Americans who so highly value independence, self-reliance, and rugged individualism. We like to believe we are masters of our fate, captains of our souls, builders of our own destiny.

Yet the way of Jesus Christ runs counter to this. He bluntly tells us: “Deny yourself. Take up your cross. Follow Me.”

To follow Christ means to crucify our ego, to surrender our will, to let His desires become our desires. Every day we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy will be done.” But do we realize what we are praying? We are asking God to kill our self-centeredness and form Christ within us.

This is the narrow and difficult path of discipleship. The goal of Christian life is not to “look religious” or to simply use Christian language, but to let the Spirit of Christ Himself live within us; to cultivate the mind of Christ.

What Does This Look Like?

• In our families: It means putting our spouse’s needs above our own, being patient with our children, and forgiving quickly.
• In our work: It means acting with integrity even if it costs us advancement, refusing to cut corners, or mistreat others to get ahead.
• In our community: It means being compassionate and patient toward those who annoy us, trying to listen to those who differ from us politically, and reflect Christ’s love to those whom society is demonizing
• In our parish: It means sacrificing personal preferences for the good of the whole Church Family, resisting gossip, and serving one another in humility.

This is what it means to lose our life for Christ’s sake so that we may find true life.

I think of Saint Silouan the Athonite, a Russian peasant who became a monk on Mount Athos. Early in his life he struggled deeply with pride, anger, and despair. For years he wrestled with his ego and pride until Christ appeared to him and taught him a new way.

“Keep your mind in hell, and despair not,” he heard from Christ. This means to always remember our own weakness and unworthiness. We keep our mind in hell. We crucify our ego and pride, yet we never lose hope in Christ’s mercy. We never despair.

St. Silouan taught about love with astonishing clarity. “The soul that has learned the love of Christ loves her enemies as her own children. She prays for them with tears. The Lord Himself gives her such love.”

When we crucify our ego and stop living for ourselves, Christ fills us with Divine love—even for those who hate us. We can live out Saint Paul’s words: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”

Yet, the world tells us the opposite. Society says, “Me first. Protect yourself. Advance yourself. Gain wealth. Gain status. Gain influence. All so I can be comfortable.” Christ will ask us, though, “What does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?”

We see this every day. People gain everything—money, possessions, comfort—and yet remain restless, empty, unfulfilled. Why? Because we were not created to live for ourselves. We were created to live in communion with Christ and one another. We were created to love as He loves, to lose ourselves so that we may find Him in one another.

Let’s bring this down to our daily struggles.

• When someone offends us, do we cling to resentment? Or do we crucify our pride and forgive?
• When we see someone in need, do we close our eyes to protect our comfort? Or do we crucify our selfishness and give generously?
• When someone expresses a very different political view than ourselves, do we attack them, judge the entire opposite political side as one, and condemn them? Or do we try to see the image of Christ in each person and try to understand them and see the good in them?
• When parish life challenges us—when decisions don’t go our way, when personalities clash—do we demand our way? Or do we crucify our ego and seek peace for the sake of Christ?

To live as Saint Paul lived—“no longer I, but Christ in me”—means to allow His Spirit to shape every part of our life. And here lies the paradox: when we lose our lives for Christ, we actually find them.

When we die to selfishness, we discover true freedom.

When we embrace the Cross, we taste resurrection.

When we crucify our ego, Christ Himself comes alive in us.

“The way of the Cross is the door to mysteries,” St Gregory the Theologian noted. “Through crucifying ourselves, the enlightened enter into the Kingdom of God.” So today, as we continue to lift high the Precious Cross, let us hear again the Lord’s invitation: “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”

This is not easy. It is narrow. It is difficult. But it is also the only way that leads to true life. And by God’s grace, may we echo the words of St. Paul: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”