Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
“Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”
The Church today celebrates the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross. Briefly, the origin of this feast is this:
Early in the fourth century St. Helena, mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine, went to Jerusalem in search of the holy places of Christ’s life. She razed the Temple of Aphrodite, which tradition held was built over the Savior’s tomb, and her son built the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher over the tomb. 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. …. 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 cross in our lives is not only a holy piece of wood. Much more, it is the mystery into which we have been inserted by our Baptism. In Christ Jesus, we come to know the meaning of our lives. The mystery of the cross is the pattern for meaning and its power which enables us to live with a measure of acceptance, in hope.
Christ trusted in the Father’s love and accepted the awful circumstances of His life by deferring to God’s will. So are we invited to accept the circumstances of our lives with trust in God’s providential love, believing that God is overseeing all the circumstances of our lives!
Reflection by Fr. Xavier Nacke, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections