Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Today's Mass Readings

Today we celebrate the great reconciliation won for us by Jesus Christ—God’s plan for our redemption. We celebrate the Triumph of the Cross. Yes, there is clearly a paradox here—declaring the triumph, the exaltation of an instrument of death. Yet that is precisely the point. From death comes life. Passing through death leads to new life because of the triumph of the cross, the victory of Jesus Christ over sin and death.

In the letter to the Corinthians, we read: For our sakes God made him who did not know sin to be sin so that in him we might become the very holiness of God. It was in Christ, in his mission, and in his suffering and death—and ultimately in his resurrection that God was “reconciling the world to himself, not counting our transgressions against us.”

The mystery of the cross shows us the humanity of Jesus, who became like us, who remained sinless, and yet took on the burden of our sins. As we meditate on the Lord who died for us, on Jesus who took on all the weight of our sins, we come to see the conquering of sin in our lives. The Lord took on that sin, all that drives us apart, and separates us from God. In him all of that—the sin, the unfaithfulness, the wandering, the grumblings—all of that was crucified. Since he was one with us, and he bore our sins, our sins have been nailed to the tree in him. The cross shows us the great bond that exists between us, sinful humanity, and the Lord of forgiveness. So, it is clearly proclaimed in the Gospel of John “and I when I am lifted up from the earth will draw all people to myself.” Jesus had become human, one of us. In doing so, he took on the weight of our sins. And in his death, we see all our sinfulness put to death with him and so we are crucified with Christ.

We should glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom is our salvation, life, and resurrection, through whom we are saved and set free.

Reflection by Fr. Peter Ullrich, OSB