Why We Celebrate
Every September 14 the Church celebrates the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. This feast invites us to do two things: first, to recall the history of the discovery and recovery of the True Cross of Christ, and second, to appreciate more deeply the Cross as the sign and reality of Christ’s sacrificial love at the center of our own daily lives.
Historical Background
The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is one of the twelve major feasts in the liturgical calendar of the Eastern Churches, and by the seventh century, it had entered the Roman calendar as well. It commemorates the installation of the relics of the True Cross in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem on September 14, 335, and their restoration there on September 14, 630.
According to ancient tradition, St. Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine, discovered the wood of the Cross in 326 during excavations near Golgotha. Constantine built a basilica on the site of the Holy Sepulcher, and on September 14, 335, Archbishop Macarius of Jerusalem placed the relics of the Cross there. In 614 the Persians seized Jerusalem and carried off the relic, but in 630 the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius recovered it and, clothed as a humble pilgrim, carried it back into Jerusalem. The current Church of the Holy Sepulcher was rebuilt by the Crusaders in 1149 after earlier destructions. Today, the largest surviving fragment of the Cross is venerated at the Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme in Rome.
From the fourth century onward Christians have venerated the Cross, especially on Good Friday. The pilgrim Egeria records that the wood of the Cross was taken out of its silver reliquary and placed on a table with Pilate’s inscription. Each faithful person approached, touched it with forehead and eyes, kissed it, and moved on—a ritual still echoed in the Church’s Good Friday liturgy.
The Scripture Readings
- First Reading (Numbers 21:4–9): The Israelites, plagued by serpents, were saved when they looked at a bronze serpent raised by Moses. This foreshadows the healing power of Christ’s Cross.
- Second Reading (Philippians 2:6–11): St. Paul proclaims that Jesus, “though he was in the form of God… humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross,” and for this reason God highly exalted him.
- Gospel (John 3:13–17): Speaking to Nicodemus, Jesus explains that the Son of Man must be “lifted up” like the serpent in the wilderness so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. This is the context of the famous verse, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son…” (John 3:16).
Gospel Reflection
Jesus presents his crucifixion as a mysterious “lifting up” that is at once shameful and glorious. Just as the bronze serpent brought healing to the snake-bitten Israelites, the lifted-up Son of Man brings eternal life to all who look on him in faith. What seems like defeat becomes the moment of triumph. This paradox fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy of the Suffering Servant who is “high and lifted up” (Isaiah 52:13) and yet “wounded for our transgressions” (Isaiah 53:5). The Cross reveals the depth of God’s love, freely offered to a world he does not wish to condemn but to save (John 3:17).
Life Messages
- Reverence the Cross. We should venerate the Cross and keep it close in our Churches, homes, and even on our persons, as a reminder of the price Jesus paid for our salvation (CCC, 617).
- Draw Strength from the Cross. In our trials, we unite our sufferings to Christ’s. With St. Paul we proclaim, “We preach Christ crucified… the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18–24) and “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14).
- Sign Yourself with Faith. Making the sign of the Cross is a powerful prayer. It professes that we belong to Christ, honors the Most Holy Trinity, and calls down God’s blessing and protection on us. Early Christians called it a “seal” marking them as the Lord’s own (Tertullian, De Corona, 3).
- Forgive as You Are Forgiven. The crucifix reminds us that we are forgiven sinners. Looking at the Cross, we learn to forgive those who hurt us and to seek forgiveness when we harm others. “Father, forgive them,” Jesus prayed from the Cross (Luke 23:34).
Conclusion
The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is not only a celebration of a relic or a historical event, but an invitation to live under the sign of the Cross each day. As Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves, take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). By embracing the Cross, we share in Christ’s victory and look forward to the day when the sign of shame will be revealed as the sign of glory.
Sources:
- The Holy Bible, NRSVCE: Numbers 21:4–9; John 3:13–17; Philippians 2:6–11.
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 617, 618.
- Egeria’s Pilgrimage, c. 380.
- Butler’s Lives of the Saints, September 14.
- Tertullian, De Corona, 3.
