The Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross.
Feast of our Lord. Holy Day of Obligation. Day of Fast.
1 Corinthians 1:18-24; John 19:6-11, 13-20, 25-28, 30-35.
Read John 19:6-11, 13-20, 25-28, 30-35
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
Today the Church celebrates the Exaltation (or lifting up) of the Precious and Life Giving Cross. During the service we see the cross lifted up to the four cardinal points and we bow down as we chant: To Your cross, O Master, we bow in veneration, and we glorify Your holy resurrection. As we freely bow down in worship before the Holy Cross, we should remember that this liturgical veneration of the Cross is not just a nice ceremony, but a true invitation for us to struggle daily by voluntarily taking up the cross in our own lives.
We read in today’s Gospel: “bowing his head and gave up his spirit.” St. John Chrysostom observes, “For He did not, when He had expired, bow His head, as happens with us, but when He had bent His head, then He expired. By all which things the Evangelist has shown, that He was Lord of all.” (Homily 85 on the Gospel of John)
We, who say that we are Christians, members of Christ’s body, must likewise voluntarily take up our own crosses in order to find healing and salvation for our souls. This is not easy, because our attachments to our passions mean that this struggle for faithfulness will usually require suffering. This is not because our suffering is somehow pleasing to God in itself, but because of the inevitable pushback we experience when we seek to go against the passions and instead conform our lives to Christ.
Recall that in the garden, the night before His passion, Jesus prayed: “Father, if You are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but Yours be done.” (Luke 22:42). He went to His passion willingly, in free obedience, and likewise no one is going to force us to take up our crosses either. Though it is true that many sufferings come upon us involuntarily, it is equally true that through them all we retain our intrinsic freedom. We can use this freedom (by the grace of God) to take up our cross and refuse to fall into despair. In this way, the sufferings of this life become an opportunity for us to bow in veneration to the cross, to voluntarily deny ourselves and to follow after our Lord.
When we are presented with suffering we have the choice to respond in a Christ-like way or according to our passions. Jesus offered Himself fully and without reservation of any kind upon the Cross, and we may unite ourselves to Him in every dimension and circumstance of our lives. Illness, worries about the future, regrets about the past, crushed hopes, and even the worst losses imaginable present opportunities to grow in “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control,” as Saint Paul writes, “those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Gal. 5:22-24).