In his homily for the Sunday of the Cross, the Very Rev. Alexander Rentel summarizes the first half of Great Lent, demonstrating how the the first two Sundays celebrated the beauty and truth of Orthodox theology, as taught by St Gregory Palamas and the defenders of Orthodoxy against the iconoclasts. This theological reflection leads us to the Cross, the most perfect revelation of God. From here on out, the Sundays of Great Lent emphasize action - the saving action of taking up one’s cross, shown in the examples of St John Climacus and St Mary of Egypt.