Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Exaltation of the Holy Cross

September 14, 2020

Today we celebrate the finding of the Cross on which Jesus died. September 14 is the day on which it is believed that Emperor Constantine’s mother, St. Helena, discovered a relic found at the site of Christ’s crucifixion and believed to be the cross. Our Church exalts the triumph of the Cross, the instrument of our redemption. To follow Christ, we must take up His cross and follow him.

We open our hearts to God when we make the Sign of the Cross before prayer. We make the Sign of the Cross after we pray to keep us close to God. We use the Sign of the Cross for strength and protection. At baptism, we are sealed with the Sign of the Cross, signifying that we belong to Christ and that we are prepared to give ourselves entirely to God – mind, body, and heart. 

The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is both profound and humbling. The cross is the ultimate sign of our faith and the means by which Christ saves us. Through Christ’s love, shown in the Paschal Mystery, the Cross has become the sign of triumph and victory, the sign of God, who is love itself. 

References: CatholicCulture.org, Loyolapress.com