In this homily given on the Feast of the Elevation of the Cross, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon (OCA) describes the Cross as both a symbol of suffering and of victory. The Cross represents the transformation of suffering into joy and death into life through Christ's sacrifice. It is central to our Christian worship and salvation. When we embrace our own crosses in our lives, our suffering, like Christ's, can be redeemed and transformed into a path to eternal life.