THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS

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 On September 14, A.D. 326, St. Helena, Constantine’s mother, aided by a team of excavators, found in Jerusalem the True Cross on which Jesus was crucified.  To commemorate the finding of the Holy Cross, Constantine built and dedicated two Churches on Calvary for worship --Anastasis and Colgoth -- both within the precincts of the present Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

 Later, in A.D. 355, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross was first celebrated in Jerusalem on the 3rd of May to commemorate the dedication of the ‘Basilica of the Resurrection’ which is now called the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.  The Church of Rome in the 7th century, adopted the "Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross" on September 14th.
The Cross on which Jesus died became the object of special respect and worship for the Christians.

 For St. Paul, the Cross was not only a precious remembrance of Christ's sufferings and death, but also a symbol closely associated with His sacrifice and the mystery of the Passion. St Justin the Martyr, in chapters 55 and 60 of his First Apology (Defence of the Christian Faith), addressing the Emperor Antoninus Pius (148--155 AD), refers to the cross as a standard Christian symbol.   Tertullian (De Corona 3:2), written around AD 211, says that Christians seldom undertake any significant activity without first making the sign of the cross.  

We honour the Holy Cross  because it is the symbol of Christ’s full obedience to the heavenly Father, in which He emptied himself and accepted a painful death on the Cross, it is the symbol of Christ’s perfect sacrifice as the Lamb of God who atoned for our sins, the Cross is the symbol of Divine Love:  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son” (John 3: 16.)  it is the symbol of our Salvation.   Finally, the Holy Cross is the symbol of Divine compassion.   God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Jesus.  

 On this Feast,  let us honour the cross at all times.  The Church Honors the Cross by using it extensively in liturgical celebrations, Christian festivals and the Rite of Adoration.   Honour is also shown in such devotions as the Stations of the Cross, and the Veneration of the Cross on Good Friday, in which the faithful kiss the feet of Our Savior.   The Cross (or Crucifix) is also a symbol of blessing. We honour it by placing it in our churches, schools, homes, hospitals, seminaries, convents, monasteries and cemeteries.  The Crucifix reminds us of our sins and the price Jesus paid for their remission and gives us strength in our pain and suffering.  The cross also gives us hope of our resurrection and future glory as well as the courage to carry our daily crosses.

Let us never fail to appreciate the significance of the sign of the cross. The Cross is the personal mark of Our Lord Jesus Christ.  When we make the Sign of the Cross, using the names of the three persons of the Holy Trinity, we indicate that we belong to Him.  In making the sign, we first draw a vertical stroke, (as if to say, "Lord, here am I,") and then we cross it with a horizontal stroke that says, "Help me, Lord, to abandon my self-will, and to make you the centre of my life.")  By this blessing, we mean:  "This food (or any other object) is being blessed with the Sign of the Holy Cross:  in the Name of the Father (+) and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."   We bless ourselves when we wear the Cross on a chain around our neck.  It is a symbol of our Covenant with Christ.   Our whole life is signed in the Cross.   By it, we are saved, sanctified and made divine.

Today, let us look up to the Holy Cross as our symbol of faith and salvation.    Thus, adoration of the Cross becomes adoration of Jesus Christ, the God Man, who suffered and died on this Roman instrument of torture for our redemption from sin and death.   It is our banner and our protection, as well as our shield against the Evil One. Hence let us love the cross, wear the cross and honour the cross.

PRAYER of the Day

Almighty God, who in the passion of your blessed Son made an instrument of painful death to be for us the means of life and peace: grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ that we may gladly suffer for his sake, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

We may conclude these reflections with a prayer of St.  Francis:  "We adore you, Lord Jesus Christ, in all your churches throughout  the whole world and we praise you, because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.”