This Sunday, we celebrate the Feast of the Exultation of the Cross. On this Feast day, we honor the instrument of our salvation, the instrument made sacred by the Lord’s offering of Himself upon it in response to the New and Eternal Covenant that He initiated at the Last Supper.
On this feast day, we also remember two historical events: The first event was the discovery of the True Cross by St. Helena in the year 320 after it had been buried by the Romans under a temple to Venus. The second event was the dedication of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher, which houses Calvary, the tomb of Jesus, and the cistern in which instruments of the Passion, including the Cross, were found.
Splinters of the Holy Cross have been sent to parishes around the world, including the relic that we venerate here at Incarnate Word every Good Friday.
In Rome, the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem contains a number of relics from the Passion that Saint Helena brought back to Rome with her, including a sizable portion of the Holy Cross.
All of that being said, we must remember that it is through the Cross that God forgives us. It is through the Cross that God showers us with His compassion, His kindness, His humility, His gentleness, and His patience.
God invites us to be to a source of these things to others through the crosses we carry. In his monthly challenge, Archbishop Lori reminds us: “When we deal with our suffering in a virtuous way, we unite ourselves to the cross of Christ. In fact, Jesus tells us that taking up our cross is an essential condition for being his disciple. The wonderful thing is that God will supply whatever grace and strength we need to carry our cross, if only we ask for it in faith. May we always carry our cross daily with courage as faithful followers of Christ.”
That grace we receive through His Cross can be a source of courage, strength, and hope for others.
As we celebrate this important feast day, Archbishop Lori invites us to undertake some sacrifice or mortification. Examples of this could include abstaining from something like meat, sugar, or alcohol, or even abstaining from something like watching sports, in order to strengthen our willingness to carry our crosses daily and help others carry theirs.
What are the crosses you must carry in your life? Which do you struggle with the most? Do you faithfully and regularly seek strength from Christ in carrying your cross in prayer and the sacraments? At Mass, do you intentionally seek to encounter the Cross and unite your cross to it? Who in your circle of influence needs help carrying their cross? How is the Holy Spirit calling you to help them carry it to the true Cross at the Mass?
Ultimately, this feast day is a reminder to mindfully bear our crosses as opposed to succumbing to self-pity, anger, resentfulness, or despair. It is our reminder to lean into His Cross through the Mass to get through the difficult moments in our life, and to give that same gift of love to others by helping them do the same. Through the Cross, through the Mass, through the Eucharist, all our difficulties can be transformed into something holy.
Let everything that breathes praise the Lord and His Holy Cross!
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