Theophilos III of Jerusalem said that the veneration of the cross serves to strengthen believers in their spiritual struggle and reminds them of the power of Christian faith even during periods of hardship.

The patriarch delivered the message during a sermon on the third Sunday of Great Lent, known in the Orthodox tradition as the Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross.

This year, festive services organized by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem were not held at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which remains closed due to the ongoing military conflict. Instead, the liturgy took place at the patriarchal monastery church of Saints Constantine and Helen in Jerusalem.

Hierarchs, clergy, members of the Greek diplomatic mission, and a small number of worshippers attended the service. After the liturgy, a traditional procession with the Honorable Wood of the Cross was held on the grounds of the monastery.

Addressing clergy and the faithful, Theophilos emphasized that the meaning of the feast is closely connected with the midpoint of Great Lent, when believers often need spiritual encouragement to continue their journey toward Easter.

According to the patriarch, in Christian tradition the cross is understood as a sign of God’s power. He noted that the Apostle Paul taught that the preaching of the cross may appear as foolishness to some, but for believers it is a manifestation of divine strength.

Theophilos also recalled that, according to Christian teaching, the suffering and death of Jesus Christ on the cross became an act of reconciliation between humanity and God.

“Through the blood of the cross, God brought peace to people,” the patriarch said.

He added that in the middle of Great Lent the cross is symbolically “raised” before believers as a source of spiritual support in the struggle against human weaknesses and passions.

Fasting and prayer, he said, help people free themselves from destructive desires and direct their lives toward spiritual values. The patriarch concluded by urging believers to preserve hope and inner peace in order to worthily prepare for the celebration of Easter.