Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Tuesday – 14th September 2021 — Gospel: Jn 3,13-17
Symbol of Salvation and Love
The feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross of Jesus reflects the central mystery of Christian faith: Jesus who was lifted up on the cross in crucifixion has triumphed over the power of sin and death because God highly exalted him. Saint John Paul II called this feast as symbol of Christianity. This feast commemorates two historical events: first, recalls the dedication of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem with the finding of the Cross of Christ by St.Helen, the mother of Constantine the Great in 326. Second, it is celebration of the return of the Holy Cross to Jerusalem after it had been taken by the Persians in 628.
The Cross represents the One Sacrifice by which Jesus became obedient even unto death. It is symbolic summary of Passion, Crucifixion, Death and Resurrection of Christ. The Cross, once a tool of death, has become a means of life, and an instrument of our salvation. The Cross is not so much a symbol of pain, but rather of the Love of God for us. It manifests the power of Christ’s love and the wisdom of God’s plan of salvation. The Cross gives strength to resist temptation, it gives hope to seek new life and it dispels fear and darkness.
