Weekly Message March 13, 2026

Beloved brothers and sisters,

This Sunday, in the middle of our Lenten journey, the Church pauses to place something at the very center of our attention: the Cross.

The Third Sunday of Lent is the Sunday of the Veneration of the Holy Cross. In the midst of the fasting, the prayers, and the spiritual effort of this season, the Cross is brought out into the center of the church, decorated with flowers, and we are invited to come forward, bow before it, and venerate it.

This moment in the middle of Lent is intentional. Just as a traveler on a long road needs rest and encouragement, the Church places the Cross before us as a reminder of where this journey is leading. Lent is not simply about discipline or sacrifice. It is about walking with Christ toward His Cross—and ultimately toward His Resurrection.

One of the beautiful traditions of this Sunday is the distribution of flowers after the service. The Cross is covered with them, and they are given to the faithful to take home. These flowers are not simply decorative. They remind us that even in the midst of sacrifice, something beautiful is growing. The Cross, which once symbolized suffering and death, has become for us the sign of life and victory.

Very often, the flowers distributed are daffodils. This is not accidental. Daffodils are among the first flowers to bloom after the long winter. They are one of the earliest signs that spring is coming. In the same way, the Cross appears in the middle of Lent as the first sign of the victory that is ahead. Even as we continue the journey, we begin to glimpse the promise of the Resurrection.

And the Cross itself brings us back to the theme we have been reflecting on these past weeks: Christ’s commandment to love our neighbor.

The Cross is the ultimate expression of that love. Christ does not speak about love as an idea. He lives it. He carries it. He sacrifices Himself for the life of the world.

When we venerate the Cross, we are not only honoring what Christ did. We are also accepting the calling that comes with it. To follow Christ means learning to carry the Cross in our own lives—through patience, sacrifice, forgiveness, and service to others.

To love our neighbor is often to carry something for them.

To stand with them in difficulty.

To sacrifice time, comfort, or pride for the sake of another.

This Sunday, as you come forward to venerate the Cross and receive the flowers, remember what they represent. The Cross reminds us that love sometimes asks something of us. The flowers remind us that when love is lived faithfully, life and hope always follow.

So take the flowers home. Place them somewhere you will see them. And let them remind you that even in the middle of the journey, Christ is already showing us that spring is coming.

With love in Christ,

Fr. Ev