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Sunday After the Feast of the Cross

Today, the Sunday after the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, the Scripture readings consist - as they did for the Sunday before the Feast - of passages which have a bearing on the Cross.

The Epistle reading has been chosen because of Paul's saying, "I am crucified with the Anointed. And I live no longer, but the Anointed lives within me....."

The Gospel reading presents us with the practical applicationis of this Feast. Each one of us must take up his or her own cross; not the cross of our choice, but the cross - that is to say the portion of suffering and trial - which is one of the aspects of the Cross of Christ.

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The following readings below are for Sunday, September 20, 2020:

Today's Epistle reading [Galatians 2.16-20]

"....yet who know that a man is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of the law, because by works of the law shall no one be justified. But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we ourselves were found to be sinners, is Christ then an agent of sin? Cetainly not! But if I builid up again those things which I tore down, then I prove myself a transgressor. For I through the law died to the law, that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

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The Gospel reading for today [mark 8.34-9.1]:

And he called to him the multitude with his disciples, and said to them, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? For what can a man give in return for his life? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of man also be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." And he said to them, "Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power."