{"id":8528,"date":"2023-09-20T09:00:36","date_gmt":"2023-09-20T09:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sfdumitru.org\/?p=8528"},"modified":"2025-10-09T08:55:05","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T08:55:05","slug":"the-cross-a-meeting-place","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sfdumitru.org\/ro\/2023\/09\/the-cross-a-meeting-place\/","title":{"rendered":"Crucea \u2013 loc de \u00eent\u00e2lnire"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"8528\" class=\"elementor elementor-8528\" data-elementor-settings=\"[]\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-section-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-d7de4e5 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"d7de4e5\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-dabfcb4\" data-id=\"dabfcb4\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-375f0c7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"375f0c7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"700\" src=\"https:\/\/sfdumitru.org\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1.2-final-1000x700.jpg\" class=\"attachment-ocean-thumb-l size-ocean-thumb-l\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sfdumitru.org\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1.2-final-1000x700.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/sfdumitru.org\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1.2-final-16x12.jpg 16w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">\u00cen\u0103l\u021barea Sfintei Cruci, detaliu fresc\u0103, m\u0103n\u0103stirea Gracanita, sec. XIV, Kosovo<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-309691b elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"309691b\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-0e7caa1\" data-id=\"0e7caa1\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-34c7121 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"34c7121\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-text-editor elementor-clearfix\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p>Praznicul \u00cen\u0103l\u021b\u0103rii Sfintei Cruci, de\u0219i este praznic \u00eemp\u0103r\u0103tesc, nu are leg\u0103tur\u0103 direct\u0103 cu via\u021ba M\u00e2ntuitorului, ci cu prelungirea vie\u021bii M\u00e2ntuitorului \u00een lume, \u00een Biseric\u0103. Evenimentul de azi a fost ini\u021biat ca praznic \u00een Biseric\u0103 atunci c\u00e2nd, dup\u0103 ce a fost furat\u0103 Crucea M\u00e2ntuitorului de c\u0103tre per\u0219i, \u00eemp\u0103ratul bizantin Heraclie a reu\u0219it s\u0103 o aduc\u0103 \u00eenapoi la Ierusalim la anul 629. Iar c\u00e2nd a readus-o, de bucurie, episcopul Ierusalimului, a ridicat-o \u00een fa\u021ba poporului \u0219i l-a binecuv\u00e2ntat cu ea. \u0218i s-a mai repetat evenimentul acesta, \u00eentruc\u00e2t au mai fost tulbur\u0103ri \u00een jurul lemnului Sfintei Cruci.<\/p>\n<p>S\u0103 facem o parantez\u0103. Lemnul Sfintei Cruci face mereu minuni, a\u0219a cum a fost \u00een timpul Sfintei \u00cemp\u0103r\u0103tese Elena, c\u00e2nd au fost g\u0103site ad\u00e2nc \u00eengropate cele trei cruci, a M\u00e2ntuitorului \u0219i ale celor doi t\u00e2lhari. Ne\u0219tiindu-se atunci care din cele trei este Crucea M\u00e2ntuitorului, au descoperit-o ating\u00e2nd o demonizat\u0103 de cruci \u0219i evident, demonul a fugit atunci c\u00e2nd a sim\u021bit puterea Sfintei Cruci. Nu este nimic mai sf\u00e2nt dec\u00e2t Crucea M\u00e2ntuitorului, pentru c\u0103 a fost sfin\u021bit\u0103 cu s\u00e2ngele Lui. Iar o pic\u0103tur\u0103 din s\u00e2ngele M\u00e2ntuitorului este mai pre\u021bios dec\u00e2t \u00eentreaga lume.<\/p>\n<p>Lemnul Sfintei Cruci este cel mai sf\u00e2nt \u0219i de aceea, face minuni tot timpul. Avem aceast\u0103 m\u0103rturie contemporan\u0103 a maicii Macrina Vassopoulos, o sf\u00e2nt\u0103 a vremurilor noastre, o mare nevoitoare, mama duhovniceasc\u0103 a multor m\u0103n\u0103stiri de aici, din America. Ea c\u00e2nd a avut cancer, prin 1988, s-a dus la un p\u0103rinte care avea o buc\u0103\u021bic\u0103 din lemnul Sfintei Cruci \u0219i c\u00e2nd i-a adus buc\u0103\u021bica, aceasta s-a lipit ca un magnet de locul unde era cancerul. \u0218i spunea c\u0103 la fel era \u0219i \u00een cazul altor oameni care veneau cu diverse dureri, boli. A\u0219adar, lemnul Sfintei Cruci face mereu minuni pentru c\u0103 este cel mai sf\u00e2nt, este plin de har. Este altarul pe care S-a jertfit M\u00e2ntuitorul, altar pe care l-a sfin\u021bit des\u0103v\u00e2r\u0219it.<\/p>\n<p>Dar, crucea este \u0219i un loc de \u00eent\u00e2lnire. Aici se \u00eent\u00e2lne\u0219te omul cu Dumnezeu \u0219i Dumnezeu cu omul. Pentru c\u0103 Hristos, Dumnezeu-Omul, S-a r\u0103stignit pe ea. Sf\u00e2ntul Maxim M\u0103rturisitorul spune c\u0103 M\u00e2ntuitorul S-ar fi \u00eentrupat oricum, chiar dac\u0103 nu ar fi c\u0103zut Adam, ca s\u0103 \u00eendumnezeiasc\u0103 omul. Doar c\u0103, dac\u0103 nu era c\u0103derea, \u00eentruparea nu c\u0103p\u0103ta aceast\u0103 form\u0103 s\u00e2ngeroas\u0103. Dup\u0103 c\u0103dere, \u00eentruparea M\u00e2ntuitorului \u0219i m\u00e2ntuirea pe care El a adus-o, El fiind m\u00e2ntuirea lui Dumnezeu (cf. Isaia 49, 6), au luat forma crucii. Forma cea mai s\u00e2ngeroas\u0103, cea mai dur\u0103. \u00cen acest mod, crucea a devenit locul de \u00eent\u00e2lnire dintre Dumnezeu \u0219i om. Alt loc de \u00eent\u00e2lnire nu este. Dac\u0103 omul vrea s\u0103 \u00eent\u00e2lneasc\u0103 pe Dumnezeu, \u00cel va \u00eent\u00e2lni pe cruce. Crucea nu se poate evita. Sf\u00e2ntul Isaac Sirul zice c\u0103 a\u0219a cum pruncul atunci c\u00e2nd se na\u0219te pl\u00e2nge, \u021bip\u0103 pentru c\u0103 a luat contact cu aerul, cu lumea aceasta, este o reac\u021bie instantanee, a\u0219a este \u0219i c\u00e2nd lu\u0103m contact cu lumea cealalt\u0103 prin intermediul crucii. Noi prin cruce respir\u0103m via\u021ba ve\u0219nic\u0103, iar primele respira\u021bii sunt dureroase. Nu ne place crucea, fugim de ea instinctiv, dar trebuie s\u0103 ne educ\u0103m, s\u0103 ne \u00eent\u0103rim ca s\u0103 nu mai fugim de ea. Pentru c\u0103 ea nu poate fi evitat\u0103 dac\u0103 vrem s\u0103 \u00eent\u00e2lnim pe Dumnezeu.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-355a901 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"355a901\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-a43ea14\" data-id=\"a43ea14\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f14b88c elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"f14b88c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"700\" src=\"https:\/\/sfdumitru.org\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1.1-final-1000x700.jpg\" class=\"attachment-ocean-thumb-l size-ocean-thumb-l\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-a09d23e elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"a09d23e\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-72c5cc4\" data-id=\"72c5cc4\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5c4e771 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5c4e771\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-text-editor elementor-clearfix\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p>Crucea era blestem, era ceva abominabil, ceva groaznic, ceva murdar, plin de s\u00e2nge. Dar tocmai de aceea, m\u0103 pot apropia de ea pentru c\u0103 \u0219i eu, prin c\u0103dere, am ajuns a\u0219a (blestem, abominabil, groaznic, murdar). A\u0219a cum sunt, om p\u0103c\u0103tos, murdar, nu m\u0103 pot apropia de Dumnezeu. Dar de crucea Lui da, pentru c\u0103 \u0219i ea este murdar\u0103 (bine\u00een\u021beles, ea este \u00een acela\u0219i timp cel mai sf\u00e2nt lucru din univers, fiind sfin\u021bit\u0103 de s\u00e2ngele \u0219i jertfa M\u00e2ntuitorului). A\u0219a cum desfr\u00e2nata nu se putea apropia de M\u00e2ntuitorul, dar de picioarele Lui (pr\u0103fuite, murdare), da.  Prin urmare, de crucea M\u00e2ntuitorului se poate apropia oricine. Iar aici ne \u00eent\u00e2lnim to\u021bi, p\u0103c\u0103to\u0219i, sfin\u021bi, Dumnezeu, oameni. Noi, p\u0103c\u0103to\u0219ii, ne afl\u0103m aici pentru a ne cur\u0103\u021bi de multele noastre p\u0103cate, iar sfin\u021bii pentru a-I urma M\u00e2ntuitorului \u201ep\u00e2n\u0103 la cap\u0103t\u201d, duc\u00e2nd o cruce mult mai mare \u0219i mai grea dec\u00e2t a noastr\u0103, a p\u0103c\u0103to\u0219ilor. Pe cruce se \u00eent\u00e2lnesc toate, este loc de \u00eent\u00e2lnire.<\/p>\n<p>S\u0103 mai spunem \u0219i c\u0103 un om valoreaz\u0103 c\u00e2t\u0103 cruce duce. Cruce adic\u0103 suferin\u021b\u0103, nevoi, necazuri. Prin cruce devenim adev\u0103ra\u021bi, serio\u0219i, plini. Prin ea ne debaras\u0103m de toate lucrurile inutile \u0219i devenim esen\u021biali. \u00cen acest fel, putem vorbi cu Dumnezeu \u201efa\u021b\u0103 c\u0103tre fa\u021b\u0103\u201d (cf. Ie\u0219irea 33, 11). Suferin\u021ba ne adun\u0103 mult \u0219i, din p\u0103cate, nu ne putem aduna altfel. \u0218i ea este m\u0103sura valorii noastre. Ea ne arat\u0103 c\u00e2t\u0103 seriozitate am dob\u00e2ndit \u00een via\u021ba noastr\u0103 \u0219i ne ofer\u0103 \u0219i slav\u0103 \u00een via\u021ba de dincolo. Slava aceea este destinat\u0103 tuturor, dar nu o pot duce to\u021bi, pentru c\u0103 nu to\u021bi pot duce crucea care corespunde acelei slave. Spun aceasta, pentru a sublinia un \u00eendemn pe care Maica Macrina \u00eel adresa maicilor din m\u0103n\u0103stirea sa, adic\u0103 s\u0103 cugete la Hristos, s\u0103 cugete cum o s\u0103 urce pe Golgota. Iar noi trebuie s\u0103 tr\u0103im via\u021ba noastr\u0103 adun\u00e2nd har de la Liturghie, din tot ce facem \u0219i s\u0103 punem \u00een inim\u0103, a\u0219a cum f\u0103cea Maica Domnului care le punea pe toate \u00een inim\u0103, ca s\u0103 rezist\u0103m pe Golgota noastr\u0103, pe crucea noastr\u0103. \u0218i se poate, to\u021bi sfin\u021bii ne-au ar\u0103tat c\u0103 se poate. Oric\u00e2t am fi noi de neputincio\u0219i, iar \u00een vremea de azi \u0219i mai mult, cu harul lui Dumnezeu ne putem \u00eent\u0103ri ca s\u0103 nu dezert\u0103m, s\u0103 nu fugim de l\u00e2ng\u0103 El \u0219i s\u0103 r\u0103m\u00e2nem pe crucea noastr\u0103. Dumnezeu s\u0103 ne ajute \u0219i s\u0103 ne ofere permanent aceast\u0103 n\u0103dejde c\u0103 El este cu noi \u0219i ne va \u00eent\u0103ri. Amin.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Exaltation of the Holy Cross, fresco detail, Gra\u010danica Monastery, 14th cent., Kosovo The great feast of the Exaltation of the Precious Cross does not directly pertain to the Lord\u2019s life, but rather to the extension of His life in the world and in the Church. Today\u2019s event was established as an ecclesial feast when, after [&hellip;]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[82],"tags":[27],"class_list":["post-8528","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-icon-from-within-sept-oct-23","tag-feast","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sfdumitru.org\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8528","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sfdumitru.org\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sfdumitru.org\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sfdumitru.org\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sfdumitru.org\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8528"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/sfdumitru.org\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8528\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8675,"href":"https:\/\/sfdumitru.org\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8528\/revisions\/8675"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sfdumitru.org\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8528"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sfdumitru.org\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8528"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sfdumitru.org\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8528"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}