THE FEAST OF THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS

FORGIVEN, HEALED AND MADE ANEW

Today we celebrate the triumph of the cross. It was not so in the beginning. It was a symbol of shame and condemnation. “We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks”. Now the cross is the symbol of Christianity, a sign of victory and life. As we sign ourselves with the sign of the cross, it becomes an act of faith, prayer and adoration.

The crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross made it the highest Divine Altar, on which the all-world reconciliatory sacrifices were offered to God the Father; On It, the Only Begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ, suffered superhuman suffering, bled out His Divine Blood, and gave up His Spirit for the sins of the whole world.

The cross became thus for us a defining moment in our life, for if Christ had not died on the cross and risen from the dead, our faith would have been in vain. (1 Cor 15:14). We are therefore admonished by Paul to glory in the cross (Gal 6:14). Yes, the cross is symbolic for the passion of Christ. Intrinsically, it reminds us of our own crosses, our own worthlessness. We celebrate the cross for on it we are forgiven, healed and made anew. In our weak moments Christ reminds us that life is not all about the cross, the cross of Christ and our own crosses have the power to strengthen us, painful as they are. We must unite our crosses to the Cross of Christ. Our pain minus the cross of Christ weighs us down and may destroy us.

As we celebrate, the words of Jesus: “If anyone is willing to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and keep on following Me” (Mt 16:24)–Grow in us.