Sermon for the Sunday after the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

20 September 2026 · St Eustathius the Great Martyr

Galatians 2:16–20 · Mark 8:34–9:1

Last Monday we celebrated the Exaltation of the Precious and Life-giving Cross. The Cross is still here in the middle of our church. We are still in the afterfeast. We are called to remember Christ suffering on the Cross.

Today’s Gospel tells us why. Jesus calls the crowd to him, together with his disciples. And he says, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34). He is not speaking only to monks or priests. He is speaking to all of us.

What does it mean to deny myself? It does not mean hating myself. God made me and God loves me. It means saying no to the voice inside that always says “me first.” It means letting go of pride and the need to be noticed.

What is my cross? It is different for each of us. For one it is illness. For another it is a difficult marriage, a child who has drifted away, a difficult work colleague or relative, a tricky neighbour, loneliness, or growing old and the list goes on. We do not need to go looking for crosses. Life brings them to our door. The question is what we do with them. We can drag them with complaint. Or we can carry them with Christ.

Then comes the most important word. “Follow me.” The cross is not the goal. Christ is the goal. We carry our cross behind him. He has walked this road before us. He knows every stone on it.

Jesus goes on, “For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it” (Mark 8:35). The world tells us to protect ourselves at all costs. Christ tells us the opposite. A seed kept safe in the packet never grows. It must be buried before it bears fruit.

Saint Paul shows us what this looks like in a real life. In today’s Epistle he writes, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). Paul lost his comfort, his reputation, and in the end his life. Yet he found something far greater. And listen to how he ends that verse. Christ “loved me and gave himself for me.” The Cross is personal. It was for you, for all of us even when Christ’s crucifixion took place nearly 2000 years ago – God knew of us long before we were born.

Today we also remember the holy Great Martyr Eustathius. Before his baptism he was a Roman general called Placidas. He was kind to the poor, but he did not yet know Christ. One day, out hunting, he chased a great stag. Between its antlers he saw the Cross shining, with Christ upon it. He and his family were baptised. Then came hard years. He lost his wealth. He was separated from his wife and sons. But he kept his faith. In the end the family was reunited, and together they died as martyrs for Christ. He met Christ through the Cross. He carried his own cross. And through it he found a life that never ends.

So what can we take home? First, make the sign of the Cross regular and with attention. Second, choose one small act of self-denial this week. Hold back a sharp word. Give time to prayer. Help someone who cannot repay you.

On the feast we sang, “Before your Cross we bow down in worship, O Master, and your holy Resurrection we glorify.” The Cross never ends at the Cross. It leads to the empty tomb. If we carry our cross with Christ, we will share his Resurrection too. Amen.