Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Triumph of the Cross

The crosses in Catholic churches and in Catholic homes, along with the crosses that Catholics wear and sign themselves with, should always serve as a reminder of Jesus’ glorious victory.

Non-believers may wonder why Catholics commemorate the Cross, the instrument that was used to torture and kill Jesus, not understanding that it is actually the means of salvation.

By his death on the Cross and his Resurrection from the tomb Jesus defeated death, allowing man to enter Heaven and experience eternal life.

In the early 4th century, the mother of Emperor Constantine, St. Helena, searched Jerusalem for holy places from the life of Jesus. In 335 AD, Constantine built a basilica and a shrine on the site of Jesus’ Crucifixion. There, the True Cross was discovered and it has been venerated ever since.

The Cross of Jesus was captured by the King of Persia in 614 and returned to Jerusalem in 631 by the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius.

Both the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 14. The feast is also called the Triumph of the Cross.

The great paradox of Christianity:

Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network – USA

God chose to die on the Cross:

Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux

A symbol of disgrace transformed into a symbol of triumph:

Heralds of the Gospel

“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.”

John 3: 13-15

The instrument of our salvation:

Warner D’Souza

Reassurance that God loves us unconditionally:

Salesians Ireland

Christianity has its principal symbol in the Cross. Wherever the Gospel has put down roots, the Cross is there to indicate the presence of Christians. In churches and homes, in hospitals and schools, in cemeteries – the Cross has become better than any other, the sign of a culture that draws from the message of Christ truth and liberty, trust and hope. In the process of secularization, that characterizes a great part of the contemporary world, it is all the more important for believers to fix their gaze on this central sign of Revelation and accept its original and genuine meaning.

Pope John Paul II, Angelus Address, 15 September 2002

The Cross triumphs:

Catholic Faith Network

Embrace Jesus’ Cross as well as your own:

Ascension Presents

Not the suffering but the way to face suffering:

Diocese of Chalan Kanoa

The Council of Trent emphasizes the unique character of Christ’s sacrifice as “the source of eternal salvation” and teaches that “his most holy Passion on the wood of the Cross merited justification for us.” and the Church venerates his Cross as she sings: “Hail, O Cross, our only hope.”

Catechism of the Catholic Church 617

Exalting the Cross on the site where Jesus was crucified:

Christian Media Center – English

A univeral celebration lived in different ways:

EWTN

The Truth, Goodness, and Beauty of the Catholic Church

Whatever is in your heart is what will come out:

Father David Michael Moses

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