From: rich <
richarra@gmail.com>
September 14th - Exaltation of the Holy Cross
This feast was observed in Rome before the end of the 7th century. It commemorates the recovery of the Holy Cross, which had been placed on
Mount Calvary by St Helena and preserved in Jerusalem but then had
fallen into the hands of Chosroas, King of the Persians. The precious
relic was recovered and returned to Jerusalem by Emperor Heralius in
629.
The lessons from the Breviary tell us that Emperor Heraclius carried
the Cross back to Jerusalem on his shoulders.=C2 He was clothed with
costly garments and with ornaments of precious stones. But at the
entrance to Mount Calvary a strange incident occurred. Try as hard as
he would, he could not go forward. Zacharias, the Bishop of Jerusalem,
then said to the astonished monarch:=C2 =E2=80=9CConsider, O Emperor, th=
at with
these triumphal ornaments you are far from resembling Jesus carrying
His Cross.=E2=80=9D The Emperor then put on a penitential garb and continue=
d
the journey.
In celebration of the discovery of the Holy Cross, Constantine ordered
the construction of churches at the site of the Holy Sepulchre and on
Mount Calvary. Those churches were dedicated on September 13 and 14,
335 and shortly thereafter the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy
Cross began to be celebrated on the latter date.
The feast slowly spread from Jerusalem to other churches, until, by
the year 720, the celebration was universal.
The liturgy of the Cross is a triumphant liturgy.=C2 When Moses lifted
up the bronze serpent over the people, it was a foreshadowing of the
salvation through Jesus when He was lifted up on the Cross. Our Mother
Church sings of the triumph of the Cross, the instrument of our
redemption. To follow Christ we must take up His cross, follow Him and
become obedient until death, even if it means death on the cross. We
identify with Christ on the Cross and become co-redeemers, sharing in
His suffering and Cross.
We make the Sign of the Cross before prayer which helps to fix our
minds and hearts to God. After prayer we make the Sign of the Cross to
keep close to God.=C2 During trials and temptations our strength and protection is the Sign of the Cross. At Baptism we are sealed with the
Sign of the Cross, signifying the fullness of redemption and that we
belong to Christ. Let us look to the cross frequently, and realize
that when we make the Sign of the Cross we give our entire self to
God--mind, soul, heart, body, will, thoughts.
WHY DO WE CELEBRATE THE FEAST OF THE HOLY CROSS?
It's easy to understand that the Cross is special because Christ us=
ed
it as the instrument of our salvation. But after His Resurrection, why
would Christians continue to look to the Cross? Christ Himself offered
us the answer:=C2 =E2=80=9CIf any man will come after me, let him deny h= imself,
and take up his cross daily, and follow me=E2=80=9D (Luke 9:23). The point =
of
taking up our own cross is not simply self-sacrifice;=C2 in doing so, we
unite ourselves to the sacrifice of Christ on His Cross.
When we participate in the Mass, the Cross is there, too.=C2 The =E2=80=9Cunbloody sacrifice=E2=80=9D offered on the altar is the re-present= ation of
Christ's Sacrifice on the Cross. When we receive the Sacrament of H=
oly
Communion, we do not simply unite ourselves to Christ; we nail
ourselves to the Cross, dying with Christ so that we might rise with
Him.
=E2=80=9CFor the Jews require signs, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:=C2=
but we
preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews indeed a stumbling block and
unto the Gentiles foolishness . . . =E2=80=9D (1 Corinthians 1:22-23). Toda=
y,
more than ever, non-Christians see the Cross as foolishness. What kind
of Saviour triumphs through death?
For Christians, however, the Cross is the crossroads of history and
the Tree of Life. Christianity without the Cross is meaningless:=C2 only
by uniting ourselves to Christ's Sacrifice on the Cross can we ente=
r
into eternal life.
REFLECTION
=C2 =C2 =E2=80=9CWe are celebrating the feast of the cross which drov=
e away
darkness and brought in the light=E2=80=A6 Had there been no cross, Christ could not have been crucified. Had there been no cross, Life Itself
could not have been nailed to the tree. And if Life had not been
nailed to it, they would be no streams of immortality pouring from
Christ's side, blood and water for the world's cleansing. T=
he legal
bond of our sin would not be canceled, we should not have obtained our
freedom, we should not have enjoyed the fruit of the tree of life and
the gates of paradise would not stand open. Had there been no cross,
death would not have been trodden underfoot, nor hell despoiled=E2=80=A6 Th=
e
cross is called Christ's glory; it is saluted as his triumph.=E2=80=
=9D
--St Andrew of Crete (650-740)
PRAYER
=C2 O God, who willed that your Only Begotten Son should undergo the
Cross to save the human race, grant, we pray, that we, who have known
his mystery on earth, may merit the grace of his redemption in heaven.
For you placed the salvation of the human race on the wood of the
Cross, so that, where death arose, life might again spring forth and
the evil one, who conquered on a tree, might likewise on a tree be
conquered through Christ.=C2 O cross, you are the glorious sign of
victory. Through your power may we share in the triumph of Christ
Jesus.
We adore you Christ and we praise you, for by your holy Cross you have
redeemed the world. Amen
--- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2
* Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4)