Third Sunday of Great Lent: Veneration of the Cross
Movable feast: the date changes each year. In 2026, it is observed on March 15.
Dates follow the calendar tradition used by this project. Parishes using the new calendar celebrate fixed feasts on different civil dates.
On the Third Sunday of Great Lent, the Church venerates the Cross of Christ. Set in the center of the church during the middle of Lent, the Cross keeps before the faithful Christ’s redemption and the purpose of their Lenten effort.
Meaning of the day
The Third Sunday of Great Lent is dedicated to the Veneration of the Cross. In the middle of the Lenten season, the Cross stands in the midst of the church. It does more than recall Christ’s redemption: it keeps the goal of the faithful people’s Lenten labor before them. The Church venerates the Cross as the reality by which a person must live in order to be saved. This observance joins thanksgiving for Christ Crucified with a renewed awareness of the path of faith.
Scriptural background
The meaning of this Sunday is illuminated by Christ’s words that whoever does not take up his cross and follow Him is not worthy of Him (Matthew 10:38). The call is not an invitation to seek suffering, but a call to follow Christ faithfully. Saint Paul also teaches that Christ Crucified is the power of God and the wisdom of God for those who are being saved (1 Corinthians 1:24). Thus, in the Church’s prayer, the Cross is not a sign of despair or defeat, but a witness to God’s saving power.
Spiritual meaning today
The middle of Great Lent can bring fatigue or distraction. Veneration of the Cross directs attention again to what matters most: fasting has its purpose in turning toward Christ. This day offers an opportunity to consider, quietly and honestly, what it means to take up one’s cross in ordinary life: to remain faithful, practice patience, refuse to return evil for evil, and care for others. The Cross calls Christians not to hopelessness, but to hope in God, whose power and wisdom are revealed in Christ Crucified.
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Sources: Orthodox Church in America