Homily for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

In the time of Jesus, no one thought of crucifixion as exaltation or a victory. Yet, the exaltation, the triumph of the Cross on which Jesus' life was taken, is indeed what the Church celebrates today. In the trauma of crucifixion, Jesus was victorious. It was the triumph of love over hatred. As Saint John says, "God so loved the world that He gave His only Son.”[1] Jesus revealed God's love in all He said and did, but He demonstrated His love most fully as he hung on the Cross.

 

For St. Paul, the Cross of Christ reveals the power and wisdom of God. Shortly before that first Good Friday, Jesus foreknew His crucifixion would glorify Him. Authentic love is always life-giving, and that is particularly so of God's love. The Cross is the triumph of love over hatred and life over death. Jesus' execution on the Cross was cruel, but through His death, He passed over into a new life — a life now offered to us all. The blood and water that flowed from the side of Jesus speak to us of the life that flows through the death of Jesus.

 

The Cross is celebrated in Christian art as the Tree of Life. The triumph, the exaltation, of the Cross, which is the triumph of God the Father and Jesus Christ over Satan and all the forces of evil and death, is a triumph we all share. From the Cross, Jesus draws all of us into the love and life of God. As He said in John's gospel, "When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself."[2] We must let ourselves be drawn to Him. +

 

[1] John 3:16

[2] John 12:32