Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Monday, September 14, 2026

Gospel

John 3:13-17

Jesus said to Nicodemus:

"No one has gone up to heaven

except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.

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."

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,

so that everyone who believes in him might not perish

but might have eternal life.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,

but that the world might be saved through him.

Reflection

I find today’s Gospel so fitting for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus, one of the few Pharisees who believed in Him. He tells Nicodemus, “So must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life”. At this point, Nicodemus most likely did not fully understand what Jesus meant. We, however, know that Jesus was referring to His death on the Cross.

This feast day is not just about remembering Jesus’ suffering, but remembering His victory. Jesus conquered sin and death through His sacrifice on the Cross. Jesus says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life”. The Cross is a reminder of just how much God loves us. He did not send His Son into the world to condemn us, but to save us.

I think this can also remind us of the crosses we carry in our own lives. We all experience suffering, sacrifice, and hardships that we may not always understand. But when we unite our suffering to His, our crosses can share in the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Just as Jesus’ suffering was not the end, our suffering does not have to be either.