Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Numbers 21:4b-9; Psalm 78; Philippians 2:6-11; John 3:13-17
“The Cross: From Sign of Shame to Throne of Glory.”
Today, the Church invites us to do something that seems almost absurd to the world: to exalt the Cross. Imagine it—glorifying an instrument of torture, a symbol of humiliation, a device for criminals. Yet, for us Catholics, the Cross is no longer a symbol of defeat but of victory, no longer of shame but of salvation, no longer of death but of life.
Philosophically, the Cross is paradox. How can death bring life? How can weakness reveal power? How can shame become glory? The answer lies in what St. Augustine calls the felix culpa—the “happy fault.” On the Cross, God takes humanity’s worst act—killing God Himself—and turns it into humanity’s greatest blessing—our redemption.
This is why the Cross is not just wood and nails; it is the wisdom of God that overturns the wisdom of the world (1 Cor 1:18).
Our first reading recalls the Israelites in the desert. They grumbled, they sinned, and they were bitten by deadly serpents. In God’s mercy, He instructs Moses to raise up a bronze serpent on a pole: anyone who looked upon it in faith was healed.
The message is profound: what was killing them became the instrument of their healing.
In the same way, the Cross—once a tool of Roman execution—has become the instrument of eternal salvation. As Jesus Himself tells us in the Gospel: “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up” (John 3:14).
In the Gospel, we come to understand that the Cross reveals the depth of God’s Love for us. We all know the verse: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son.” But sometimes we recite it without feeling its weight. The Cross is not proof of how bad we are; it is proof of how loved we are. God did not abandon us to our sins. He entered our suffering, carried our wounds, and embraced death itself.
Think about it: The Cross shows that God would rather die for us than live without us.
St. Paul reminds us: though Christ was in the form of God, He did not cling to His divinity. He emptied Himself, humbled Himself, became obedient—even to death on a Cross.
Why do we exalt the Cross? Because it teaches us the logic of God’s love, which is the logic of humility and self-giving. The world exalts power, wealth, and prestige. God exalts humility, service, and sacrifice. That is why “at the name of Jesus every knee should bend.”
Why and How Catholics Exalt the Cross
- Because it is our identity. Without the Cross, there is no Christianity. We are not a people of comfort; we are a people of the Cross.
- Because it is our hope. Every suffering, every trial, every loss can find meaning when united with the Cross of Christ. The Cross tells us: suffering is not the end; resurrection is.
- Because it is our mission. Jesus says, “If anyone would be my disciple, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.” We exalt the Cross not just on our altars but in our lives—through sacrifice, forgiveness, service, and love.
To exalt the Cross is to live its power daily:
- In our families: choosing patience over anger, forgiveness over bitterness.
- In our communities: defending truth, loving the poor, standing with the marginalized.
- In our own hearts: dying to pride, selfishness, and sin.
Every time we choose love over hate, humility over pride, sacrifice over selfishness—we exalt the Cross.
REMEMBER
- The Cross heals. Whatever wounds you carry, look to the Cross.
- The Cross reveals God’s love. You are loved beyond measure.
- The Cross sends us on mission. Bear witness to Christ by living sacrificial love.
Friends, the world may see the Cross as foolishness, but we see it as the power of God. Today, we do not exalt pain or suffering; we exalt the love that transforms suffering into salvation.
So, when you make the sign of the Cross, do not do it lightly. Do it as a soldier kissing his sword, as a lover sealing a vow, as a disciple embracing his destiny. For the Cross is not the end of the story, it is the doorway to glory.
God Bless You!
