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On the Sunday after the Exaltation of the Cross, we heard the Gospel from Saint Mark, chapter 8, verses 34-38: “When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, ‘Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.’”

We observe three levels of understanding and action. The first is this: “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” The Lord tells us that nothing is more valuable than the human soul. He places a human soul above the whole world. This is a teaching that He brought us. It is not of this world. In the world, a human soul is not valued so much because egotism reigns, and egotism scorns the value of other people while exalting oneself. This is the first level of understanding. And the question is raised: Have I truly understood that my soul values more than the whole world, more than all my accomplishments, more than my career, more than everything this world has to offer?

Once I’ve understood that my soul is of utmost importance and no human endeavor on this earth can fully satisfy me, then I begin to understand what today’s Epistle says: “Brethren, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified” (Galatians 2:16). This is the second stage. So, after I have understood how important my soul is and that it cannot find its place or its peace in this world, then I seek an escape, a purpose. And the Holy Apostle Paul says that we will not find that escape, that peace, in the Law of Moses or in any legal system of this world, but only in Christ. This same message is proclaimed by the Lord in today’s Gospel: “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.”

Therefore, first I acknowledge that my soul is more important than anything, then I seek salvation, and finally, the third step is that I choose to embrace the Lord because He is the only salvation. This is the truth! The Savior is the only salvation. If I have understood this, I cling to Him. Only then can I start fulfilling the first word of today’s Gospel: “When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, ‘Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.’”

Barely once I’ve reached the third level of understanding and I have convinced myself that the Lord is my only salvation, do I choose to go after Him. And He tells me that this means that I have to deny myself, to take up my cross (what might that mean?), and to follow Him. At this stage, we have practical deeds demanded of us, deeds that engage us. Simple understanding no longer suffices. We are speaking here of Life (cf. John 14:6). And life is not communicated to us through simple knowledge of facts. And, for this new life to take form in me, a life that has nothing in common with anything in this world, I have to die. This is what the Lord says in this verse: I have to die to myself. And a spiritual understanding of this word, to die for the Gospel (“for Me and for the Gospel”) is to make the Gospel the law of my life. Only this approach will transform my soul.

We see this accomplished in the last verse of the Epistle reading: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). This is an extremely beautiful verse, in which Saint Paul tells us that he has done what Christ had first done for him. We observe that the Apostle Paul interprets everything personally.

This is the only way we can gain possession of the salvation that the Lord brought. He gave Himself up for me. And I do the same for Him. Only thus can we meet. As I had said, man can only meet God on the cross. The Lord descended, and we need to ascend our cross to meet Him. Well, this is already a new, transformed life. That’s why the Apostle says, “it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” This is how our fathers were, whom we name “God-bearers.” In other words, they crucified themselves with the Lord and they no longer live, but God lives in them. That’s why we call them “God-bearers.”