Today is known as the Sunday of The Holy Cross. The Church places the Cross of Christ in our midst as a signpost on our journey toward Pascha. The Gospel for today from Mark 8:34-38; 9:1 says that to follow Jesus we must deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him. In today's world, we tend to avoid discomfort and inconvenience. Father Micah shares in his message that to take up our cross we must be willing to sacrifice for the other. We must practice the pillars of Orthodoxy, prayer, fasting, almsgiving until it becomes uncomfortable and with self-denial. To experience the joy of the Pascha, we must go through the Cross. Orthodox Christians should remember the Church helps us bear the burden of our crosses because Christ tells us His yoke is easy and burden light.