FEAST OF THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS – 14th SEPTEMBER

CONTEMPLATING THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS – 14 SEPTEMBER

THE MEANING OF THE FEAST

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross celebrates the Cross of Jesus Christ as the great sign of God’s love and our salvation. What appeared to be an instrument of suffering became, through Christ, the instrument of redemption. The Church invites us not merely to look at the Cross but to contemplate the love revealed upon it.

THE CROSS REVEALS GOD’S LOVE

The Cross is the clearest expression of the depth of God’s love for humanity. Jesus willingly accepted suffering and death for our salvation. His sacrifice teaches us that true love is not measured by comfort or convenience but by the willingness to give oneself for another.

THE CROSS IS A SIGN OF VICTORY

The Cross may appear to represent defeat, but through Christ’s Resurrection it becomes a sign of victory. Jesus conquered sin and death by passing through suffering into new life. Therefore, Christians look upon the Cross with hope, knowing that suffering and darkness do not have the final word.

THE CROSS TEACHES US TO TRUST

Every Christian encounters crosses in life—illness, disappointment, loss, loneliness, difficulties and uncertainty. The Cross reminds us that we never carry these burdens alone. Christ walks with us and gives meaning and strength to our suffering when we unite it with His own.

THE CROSS CALLS US TO SELFLESSNESS

Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” The Cross calls us away from selfishness and toward love, forgiveness, sacrifice and service. To follow Christ is to learn to give rather than always seek to receive.

THE CROSS BRINGS FORGIVENESS

Upon the Cross, Jesus prayed for those who crucified Him. His mercy shows us the power of forgiveness. When we contemplate the Cross, we are invited to release resentment, forgive those who have hurt us and seek reconciliation wherever possible.

THE CROSS IS OUR HOPE

When life becomes difficult, the Cross reminds us that God can bring new life from what appears hopeless. Just as Christ passed from the Cross to the Resurrection, our trials can become occasions of deeper faith, purification and spiritual growth when placed into God’s hands.

THE CROSS LEADS TO RESURRECTION

The Cross cannot be separated from the empty tomb. Christianity is not a celebration of suffering for its own sake, but of Christ who transformed suffering through His Resurrection. The Cross leads us toward the hope of eternal life and reminds us that those who remain faithful to Christ will share in His victory.

CONTEMPLATING THE CROSS TODAY

To contemplate the Holy Cross is to look upon Jesus with gratitude and allow His sacrifice to transform our lives. Every time we make the Sign of the Cross, we profess our faith in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and remember the immense love through which Christ saved us.

A PRAYERFUL REFLECTION

May the Holy Cross remind us that we are deeply loved by God. May it strengthen us in our trials, teach us patience in suffering, give us courage to forgive and inspire us to live with greater love and compassion. May we never be ashamed of the Cross of Christ, but carry it faithfully with hope, trusting that every cross united with Him can lead to resurrection and eternal life.

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Then he said to them all: Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. – Luke 9:23

THE STORY OF THE EXALTATION OF THE CROSS

Early in the fourth century, Saint Helena, mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine, went to Jerusalem in search of the holy places of Christ’s life. She razed the second-century Temple of Aphrodite, which tradition held was built over the Savior’s tomb, and her son built the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher on that spot. During the excavation, workers found three crosses. Legend has it that the one on which Jesus died was identified when its touch healed a dying woman.

The cross immediately became an object of veneration. At a Good Friday celebration in Jerusalem toward the end of the fourth century, according to an eyewitness, the wood was taken out of its silver container and placed on a table together with the inscription Pilate ordered placed above Jesus’ head: Then all the people pass through one by one; all of them bow down, touching the cross and the inscription, first with their foreheads, then with their eyes; and, after kissing the cross, they move on.

To this day, the Eastern Churches, Catholic and Orthodox alike, celebrate the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on the September anniversary of the basilica’s dedication. The feast entered the Western calendar in the seventh century after Emperor Heraclius recovered the cross from the Persians, who had carried it off in 614 AD, 15 years earlier. According to the story, the emperor intended to carry the cross back into Jerusalem himself, but was unable to move forward until he took off his imperial garb and became a barefoot pilgrim.

PRAYER

Oh, Adorable Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, You have suffered death on the Cross for our sins. Oh, Holy Cross of Jesus, be my true light! Fill my soul with good thoughts, ward off from me all things that are evil, ward off from me all dangers and death and give me life everlasting! Oh, Crucified Jesus of Nazareth, have mercy on me now and forever.

In honor of Your Precious Blood, Lord Jesus, Your death, resurrection and ascension which leads to everlasting life, true as You were born on Christmas Day, true as You were crucified on Good Friday, true as Joseph and Nicodemus took You down from the cross and buried You, true as You ascended into Heaven, may You preserve us from our enemies visible and invisible forever.

Oh, Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on us. Through Your suffering on the Cross, grant me strength to bear my Cross without fear or dread and give me the grace that we may follow You, to live evermore in the place you have secured for us, wholly sanctified and justified, and worthy to gaze on the pure countenance of the Father. We ask this in Your Name. Amen