We mark ourselves with it as we enter a church. We begin and end the Mass with it. Nearly every prayer starts with it. It hangs above every altar in every Catholic Church. You’ll find it on the walls of our home. People from all walks of life wear it around their necks. During the Eucharistic Prayer, the priest stretches out his arms in its shape. What is it? The Cross.
The Cross is the ultimate summary of our faith. St. Francis of Assisi used to call it his “book,” where he learned all his wisdom and St. John Paul II used to call it THE symbol of Christianity. Every September 14, we celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. This feast dates back to the year 335, when the relics of the true Cross—rediscovered nine years earlier—were brought out for public veneration at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. We have a relic of the true Cross here at our Cathedral and you can venerate it today. Since this feast falls on a Sunday only once every seven years, it is most often celebrated by daily Mass-goers. But every one of us is invited to live this feast not just liturgically, but by letting its meaning shape our daily lives.
The Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross is not merely about gazing at the Cross or pondering its meaning, but about fully embracing it as a way of life. Like the relics you touch in the “Journey with the Saints Pilgrimage” that we offer here at the Cathedral, it is all about transformation. True veneration of the Cross means following Christ’s call to deny ourselves, take up our own Cross daily, and walk the path of discipleship. It also demands embracing a life of self-sacrificial love, not just enduring hardships passively, but actively loving others as Christ loved—through dying to ourselves so that Christ may live and love through us. In doing so, we participate in Christ’s redemptive work, becoming true disciples by uniting our daily sacrifices with his on the Cross.
The Cross, for Christians, is not primarily a symbol of pain but of God’s overwhelming love, demonstrated by Jesus laying down His life for humanity. It reveals the depth of divine love, where Jesus, though fully God, humbled Himself to suffer and die for our salvation. This act, seen by the world as foolish or scandalous, is actually the power and wisdom of God, showing that true love is willing to endure anything for the beloved. Every wound Jesus bore expresses a personal “I love you,” and His suffering encompasses all human pain, injustice, and loneliness. Though it appears a defeat, it is in fact Christ’s ultimate victory and the foundation of hope, salvation, and eternal life.
In this Jubilee year of Hope, it is good to remember that the Cross, once a symbol of suffering, was hailed by early Christians as their only hope, because it is both the means of our salvation through Christ’s sacrifice and the daily path we must take to follow Him. In Catholicism, “dying to self-daily” means letting go of selfishness and aligning your will with God’s will, which can be practiced through self-denial in daily choices, prioritizing the needs of others, forgiving those who hurt you, embracing humility, and regularly praying and studying Scripture to grow in spiritual maturity. It’s a process of spiritual transformation to become more like Christ by yielding your desires to God’s will, ultimately leading to true life and a deeper relationship with Him. Courage on your journey.
God Bless,
Fr. J.J.