Shio III: Reunification requires love, forgiveness and mutual reconciliation
“When we try to escape the cross and rid ourselves of it, we move away from Christ’s cross; we move away from the Lord Himself. But when we accept and bear our cross with patience, humility and prayer, that cross will certainly become beneficial for our souls,” Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Shio III said during a sermon at the Holy Trinity Cathedral.
The Patriarch congratulated Orthodox Christians on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and spoke about the significance of the day.
“Your Excellency, Chairman of the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia; Your Excellency, Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia; Your Eminence; dear fathers, brothers and sisters, I congratulate you on the glorious Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Today we reflect on the Lord’s cross, its significance and its power. May all of us receive the power and grace of the life-giving cross.
“The Lord Jesus Christ willingly died on the cross for us sinners and the guilty, to save us, deliver us and grant us salvation. When we venerate the Savior’s cross, first and foremost we venerate this labor of love — an act of great and self-sacrificing love. It was this love and sacrifice that were fulfilled on the cross.
“By venerating the cross, we also venerate the hope and joy of our resurrection. When Jesus Christ died on the cross and the tomb was sealed, it seemed as though everything had ended. But it was precisely then that our Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead, and this is where our hope lies: that from the abyss of sin and the depths of our fallen state, we can rise again to Christian life and communion with God.
“The cross on which our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified was heavy and great. You know that it was made of wood, and later different people made large crosses of this kind and, through joint efforts, carried them to Jerusalem and up the road to Golgotha. Some kept such crosses in their cells. For example, Saint Alexius Shushania had one in his cell and placed it on his shoulders while praying.
“Here before us stands the Tkothi Cross. As you know, Saint Nino, King Mirian and Queen Nana erected these crosses. They personally carried them up Mount Mtskheta.
“But Christ’s cross is not merely a cross made of wood or any other material. There is also a spiritual cross, which consists of people’s sins and trials, sorrows, illnesses and family difficulties. When a person sins and stubbornly continues to remain in that sin, they make these crosses, their own cross, heavier. But when a person fights sin and overcomes it, they make their cross lighter.
“What does this mean? When we try to escape the cross and rid ourselves of it, we move away from Christ’s cross; we move away from the Lord Himself. But when we accept and bear our cross with patience, humility and prayer, that cross will certainly become beneficial for our souls. Then we will walk along the path of this life together with Christ and experience true spiritual joy — the joy of the Resurrection.
“Therefore, let us strive to fight sin and not lose heart in bearing our cross. Then the Lord will be with us, we will walk the path of Christ and, with this joy, will always remain with the Lord. May the Lord grant us this through the power and grace of the cross,” Patriarch Shio III said.
Shio III also spoke about the anniversary of the fall of Sokhumi.
“Today we remember a sad and tragic event in our recent history. Thirty-three years have passed since the war in Abkhazia and the fall of Sokhumi. This terrible war claimed the lives of up to 30,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands from their land, their region and their homes, simply because they were Georgian. After the war, several thousand more people died while traveling along the Kodori route.
“Of course, we believe that this too is a great cross placed upon us by God, and it is not accidental that the fall of Sokhumi coincides with this day, which is also the commemoration day of John Chrysostom, who was buried in Abkhazia.
“Today we reflect on this war, and I am reminded of the words of Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II — that there was no victor in that war; both Abkhaz and Georgians were defeated.
“If we want to bear this cross with dignity and for it to benefit us, so that our nation may be reunited and both Georgians and Abkhaz may survive, our path is love, forgiveness and mutual pardon.
“I am very glad that today people throughout Georgia share this attitude. This unites us — this attitude toward Abkhaz people and Abkhazia, and toward how our lives should develop and how we should live together.
“Once again, I congratulate you on today’s Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
“Today we held a memorial service and commemorated everyone who died in the war, both Abkhaz and Georgians. We also remembered our warrior brothers and sisters who died in Tskhinvali. May God grant rest to their souls.
“May God bless and strengthen you. May the power and grace of the cross strengthen you all. Through the power and grace of the cross, may God bless, reunite, save and strengthen all of Georgia. Amen,” Shio III said.