The Exaltation of the Cross

This coming Sunday the Church celebrates a special feast day called the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. This feast, which overtakes the normal Sunday celebration of the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, is a unique one in the Church's calendar. It commemorates the date of the consecration of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and the bringing forth of the relic of the Holy Cross. 

The Church, built by the command of Constantine and his mother Helena over the holy sites of Christ's death and resurrection, housed the relic of the True Cross. According to some historical records, the church consecration took place on Sept. 13, 335, and then the next day (Sept. 14) the relic of the True Cross was brought forth for the masses of people who had come to celebrate to see. This holy relic, according to legend and tradition, had been found by Helena and was proved to be the True Cross by the miraculous healings of people who touched it.

Putting the legendary stories of its finding aside, over the centuries this feast has become one which encourages us to recognize the Cross of Christ as the sign and symbol of salvation. Unlike Good Friday, which rightly focuses upon the events of that day and the sacrifice of Christ, this feast focuses on the cross itself. The first reading, from the Book of Numbers, speaks of a statue of a serpent that was able to heal people who looked upon it. In the Gospel, Jesus references this when he says, "And 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 instrument of this "lifting up" was indeed the cross, and as we know, the cross eventually became the primary symbol of Christianity.

So, as we go into this weekend preparing to celebrate this feast, let us make sure to place our hearts and minds into the historical context in which we exist. We are part of a Church that spans millennia. We have stories and traditions that both amaze and that inspire us. And it reminds us that all of this isn't just stories, but that Jesus was indeed a real person who was crucified upon a real cross. May the words we use in our Stations of the Cross devotions in Lent continue to ring true in our hearts today: "We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world."

Want to prepare your heart and mind for Mass this weekend? Click here to find the readings this Sunday's Mass.