THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2024

MASS READINGS"

Gospel

JN 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

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 Exaltation of the Holy Cross celebrates the discovery of the True Cross by St Helena, the mother of the Emperor Constantine, in 320 AD under the temple of Venus in Jerusalem, and the dedication in 335 of the basilica and shrine built on the site of the Holy Sepulchre and Mount Calvary by Constantine.

God directly intervened in the affairs of the world culminating in the execution of His Son on a real cross. We have been saved by Jesus submitting Himself to be crucified. Despite the horror of this event, we have received our salvation. We have become accustomed to these crosses and crucifixes some bedecked as ornate jewelry. We need to not forget but remember what actually happened.

The cross is Christ’s glory and triumph. We have a treasure, the door to immortality and life with God has been opened. The devil lost and death conquered.

The cross is a symbol of both suffering and salvation. The cross reminds us of God’s presence and His ability to transform suffering into grace. We are called to embrace our challenges and crosses. Imagine what He can do in our lives. When we have medical, family, job and financial problems we can look at the face of Jesus Christ and accept the suffering with faith and hope, looking for His transformative power in our lives, His mercy, grace and His healing.

How He loves us! The Cross is our strength and our victory.

In 1942 a Franciscan Austrian nurse, Blessed Maria Restituta, was sentenced by the Nazis to be beheaded for hanging crucifixes in every patient room in the hospital. Her charges were “hanging crucifixes, and writing a poem that mocked Hitler.” Because of her love for the one who died on the cross, she refused to take them down. She was beheaded on March 30, 1943.

From the Cross, the crucified Son of God uttered these words, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Are we ready to forgive our enemies?

Please join in praying the Litany of the Holy Cross found in papamio.org website.

(1) Franciscan Media

(2). Catholic News Agency

(3). EWTN

(4) Aleteia

Have a nice day!

God Bless You