The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

First Reading:(Numbers 21:4–9)

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 78:1 "Do not forget the works of the Lord"

Second Reading: (Philippians 2:6–11) 

Alleluia: We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, because by your Cross you have redeemed the world. 

Gospel: (John 3:13–17) 

Reflection:

Today, September 14th, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Even though it falls on a Sunday this year, it takes precedence, for it is a feast of our Lord Jesus Christ. The liturgical color is red, symbolizing the Cross and the blood of Christ poured out for our salvation.

I made it to Mass, and I was very happy I did. The readings were very rich. The Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Gospel were well packed with the Word. Yes, that Word which became flesh.

This feast, from reflection, highlights the central place of the Cross in our Christian faith. The Cross is not an optional accessory, as we mostly see these days with jewelers, but it is woven into the very fabric of our salvation. Without the Cross, we are no Christians. How then can we hate or reject that which has become the very essence of who we are in Christ? Let that sink in.

In the first reading (Numbers 21:4–9), we hear of the bronze serpent lifted up by Moses in the wilderness. Whoever looked upon it after being bitten by serpents was healed. This points directly to Christ, who in today’s Gospel (John 3:13–17) tells Nicodemus: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life.”

The Cross, once an instrument of shame and death, becomes in Christ the very source of healing, victory, and eternal life. St. Paul reminds us in the second reading (Philippians 2:6–11) that Christ, though equal with God, humbled Himself to the point of death on a Cross. Because of this obedience, God exalted Him and gave Him the name above every name. Glory came only after the Cross.

Our very first parish in Ghana was called Holy Cross Parish. I always remembered that so well. My mother would often bring us there on Sundays. It was a wonderful parish from a kid’s perspective.

On the issue of the Cross, why do we Christians fear and reject our own crosses? We shun them as we shun difficulties, sickness, discomfort, or failure of any kind. We complain of life’s burdens but fail to see the healing, strength, and glory hidden within them. The devil laughs when we despise the very road that leads to our salvation.

Yet, throughout the Scriptures, God always uses the Cross to prepare His chosen ones: Joseph was sold by his brothers and endured prison before reaching the palace. David faced Goliath as all the odds were against him before wearing the crown. Moses wandered the wilderness before becoming Israel’s leader. And ultimately, Jesus, the Son of God, embraced the Cross before His resurrection and exaltation.

The pattern is crystal clear: no Cross, no crown. Our own difficulties could mean our crosses, as many of us like to say.

Dear friends, whatever your crosses are, and we all have them, be it academic failure, business collapse, sickness, poverty, being single with no prospects of a partner, childlessness, marital struggles, slander, envy, or betrayal, we should not think God has abandoned us. These crosses, painful as they are, are stepping stones to the glory God has prepared for us. Like medicine that tastes bitter but heals, the Cross builds us, strengthens us, and prepares us for the future.

In my line of work, the most prominent symbol is a serpent on a cross. It reminds us of this truth: as those who looked at the bronze serpent were healed in the wilderness, so too, when we look upon Christ lifted high on that Cross, we receive healing and salvation. Doctors and nurses care, but it is God who ultimately heals, through the Cross of His Son.

Therefore, let us embrace our crosses with faith and courage. They are not punishments, but instruments of glory. They are the road God uses to elevate us. Thank those who persecute you and me, for unknowingly, they become the very tools of our promotion in Christ Jesus.

As Catholics, each time we make the Sign of the Cross, we are reminded of our baptism, of the Holy Trinity, and of the victory of Christ. The devil trembles at the Cross, for it is the mark of our salvation. We have been redeemed at a price, by the Cross. Let us use that Cross, and Satan will leave us alone. Amen.

That means we do not have to be petrified of the Cross. Let’s carry it daily with joy.

God bless you.

Pal Ronnie

Inspired by: St. Raphael Chapel, Yale; Bishop Barron; Fr. Blessed; Daily TV Mass, Canada.