| Triumph of the Cross |
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2:5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 2:6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 2:7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 2:8 And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. 2:9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, 2:10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 2:11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
On September 14 we will celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. This is perhaps one of my more favorite days in the liturgical year.
And yes, I realize there are more "important" days like the Annunciation (March 25), Christmas (December 25), and Easter (first Sunday after the first full moon of the Spring Equinox, etc.), Pentecost, Corpus Christi, and Trinity Sunday to name a few. But this one is striking to me.
For those reading this I suppose a bit of history is helpful. According to Christian tradition the Holy Cross, the cross Christ was crucified on, was lost. It wasn't until sometime in the 300's that Saint Helen, mother of Saint Augustine, set out on a pilgrimage to the holy sites in and around Jerusalem. Eventually of course she made it to Jerusalem and one of her hopes was to see the Holy Cross. To her dismay she discovered that it had been lost for nearly 300 years. So she decided to follow the road from Jerusalem to Mount Calvary in hopes of finding this precious relic. Well, she and those with her arrived at the top of Mount Calvary and thinking the Holy Cross was there, they decided to dig. And dig they did. What they unearthed was not one but three crosses. Which one was the Holy Cross?
It just so happened that among her companions was a man who was deathly ill. Having unearthed the crosses and trusting in the Christ's power to heal and save they took the man and laid him on each cross. The first two attempts and the man remained ill; on the third attempt they placed him on the Cross and instantly he regained his health. This miracle prompted them lift the Cross and carry it back to the church in Jerusalem where it was received and venerated by the Christian faithful.
The Holy Cross remained in Jerusalem for some time until Chosroes, king of Persia sacked the city and carried away the Holy Cross as a prize of his victory. The Holy Cross remained in Persia for many years. It wasn't until Heraclius, Emperor of the East defeated Chosroes and the Holy Cross was retrieved and carried back to Jerusalem in 629. Upon Its return the Patriarch of Jerusalem, his bishops, clergy, and all the faithful gathered to celebrate Its return, they venerated It, and restored It to Its rightful place of honor.
Since then to the present day the Holy Cross has been shared with bishops and clergy, and bits of it are held by the faithful around the world. Today, the fragments of the the Holy Cross are all small splinterlike bits of wood held in small brass reliquaries around the world.
So that's the history. Of course that doesn't tell you anything yet about why this Feast is so important to me. Here's why: for me the Holy Cross is my salvation. It is my hope. From that terrible instrument of death comes life. It is the key that unlocked Heaven's gate. It is my bridge from this life into glory. It is a terror of demons.
I remember one particular year while in seminary. We gathered in our chapel for Vespers (evening prayer) of this feast. The deacon who was assigned to lead prayers had set a cross to one side of the Altar, he had draped it in brilliant red, set red and white roses around it, and had a bowl in sweet incense burning before it. To one side of that was a small table, draped in red, and on it rested a small brass reliquary about eight inches high; in the middle of that reliquary was a small fragment of Wood. Beneath the Wood read the inscription: S. Crucis N. S. Jesu Christi (Holy Cross of our Savior Jesus Christ).
After Vespers we were invited to come forward and venerate the Holy Cross. In that moment it felt as though I were one with the faithful of Jerusalem walking forward to embrace Christ himself. Oh the privilege! Oh the joy! to touch the Wood that made me, a sinner and a stranger, an heir to the Throne and a friend of Christ.
"We adore thee oh Christ and we bless thee because by thy Holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world."
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And here's a personal post script: I know I'm in a Christian church or home when I find the Cross prominently displayed. I tell those asking me if they should go to this church or that, that the first criterion is: Avoid the church if the Cross isn't front and center above the people because Paul wrote "I preach Christ and Christ crucified". Therefore, no Cross equals no Christ.
AMDG |
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