orthodoxgladness:

The honorable cross is the most holy sign and symbol of our faith. All the holy mysteries are ended with the calling of the Holy Spirit and the seal of the cross: baptism, chrismation and Divine Eucharist. All the priest’s blessing are with the sign of the cross. The sacred temples, sacred items and vestments are sanctified with the honorable cross. No liturgical act or gathering is imaginable without the cross. The cross is also the most faithful friend to every Orthodox Christian, from the moment we are born until the day we die. The grave of every Christian is marked with a cross. – Archimandrite George Kapsanis

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone 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, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?“

– Matthew 16:24-26