Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
This feast commemorates the finding of the Holy Cross by St. Helena, the mother of Constantine, in the year 326. A pious and devout woman, St. Helena had the financial means and the holy desire to fund an expedition for the purpose of finding the cross upon which Jesus died.
When they arrived in Jerusalem, they discovered that any major sites that had Christian significance had been hidden by the pagans - in many cases, pagan temples had been built on those holy sites specifically to mock their significance.
This actually became a helpful guide for St. Helena, so she followed her intuition that the Holy Cross - precisely because of its great significance - would be found where the pagan stones were piled up the highest. In the process of her excavations, she discovered the Holy Sepulchre and several instruments of Our Lord's torture.
By God's grace, her excavators finally unearthed three crosses, as well as the nails which had been used in the crucifixions. St. Helena went to the bishop, St. Macarius, to ask how she was to determine which of the three crosses was the Holy Cross of Our Lord. He suggested that she take all three crosses to a woman in the city who was sick and dying, and touch the crosses to the woman; the cross which brought about a healing for the woman would be the Holy Cross of Our Lord.
St. Helena followed his advice, while he prayed that God would grant the miracle and show them which cross was the True Cross. Of course, God did grant this miracle, and when the Holy Cross came into contact with the sick woman, she regained full health almost immediately.
St. Helena ordered that a church be built on the site where the cross was discovered, and also took a piece of it back to Rome to be placed in the Church of Santa Croce (which she also ordered to be built). The church is still there, with the relics of Christ's Passion, to this day. You can see some of the pictures below:
Nail from the Cross
Piece of the Holy Cross
The Finger of St. Thomas, which was placed in Our Lord's hands and side
Thorns from the Crown of Thorns
We are privileged today to be a part of this glorious Catholic Church which Our Lord founded at the cost of His own blood, a Church which even today - this very day, September 14 - encourages Her children to remember Our Lord's Passion and venerate His Holy Cross.
But it behooves us to glory in the cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ: in Whom is our salvation, life, and resurrection; by Whom we are saved and delivered, alleluia, alleluia. (Gal. 6:14, taken from the Introit of today's Mass)
O God, Who dost gladden us this day by the annual solemnity of the exaltation of the Holy Cross, grant, we beseech Thee, that, as we have known its mystery on earth, we may deserve in heaven the reward which it has purchased. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God,
Forever and ever. Amen. (Collect from today's Mass)
Behold the wood of the cross, on which has hung our salvation: come, let us adore! (Veneration of the Cross, Good Friday)
Take a moment today, please, to venerate the cross - even if it's just the small crucifix dangling at the end of your Rosary. Venerate that lignum Crucis, that dulce lignum upon which hung Our Savior - the wood upon which was spilled His precious Blood, upon which was hung His torn flesh.
Sweet the wood, sweet the nails, sweet the load that hangs thereon: to bear up the King and Lord of Heaven nought was worthy save thou, O holy cross. Alleluia.
"Now is the judgment of the world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to Myself."
This feast commemorates the finding of the Holy Cross by St. Helena, the mother of Constantine, in the year 326. A pious and devout woman, St. Helena had the financial means and the holy desire to fund an expedition for the purpose of finding the cross upon which Jesus died.
When they arrived in Jerusalem, they discovered that any major sites that had Christian significance had been hidden by the pagans - in many cases, pagan temples had been built on those holy sites specifically to mock their significance.
This actually became a helpful guide for St. Helena, so she followed her intuition that the Holy Cross - precisely because of its great significance - would be found where the pagan stones were piled up the highest. In the process of her excavations, she discovered the Holy Sepulchre and several instruments of Our Lord's torture.
By God's grace, her excavators finally unearthed three crosses, as well as the nails which had been used in the crucifixions. St. Helena went to the bishop, St. Macarius, to ask how she was to determine which of the three crosses was the Holy Cross of Our Lord. He suggested that she take all three crosses to a woman in the city who was sick and dying, and touch the crosses to the woman; the cross which brought about a healing for the woman would be the Holy Cross of Our Lord.
St. Helena followed his advice, while he prayed that God would grant the miracle and show them which cross was the True Cross. Of course, God did grant this miracle, and when the Holy Cross came into contact with the sick woman, she regained full health almost immediately.
St. Helena ordered that a church be built on the site where the cross was discovered, and also took a piece of it back to Rome to be placed in the Church of Santa Croce (which she also ordered to be built). The church is still there, with the relics of Christ's Passion, to this day. You can see some of the pictures below:
Nail from the Cross
Piece of the Holy Cross
The Finger of St. Thomas, which was placed in Our Lord's hands and side
Thorns from the Crown of Thorns
We are privileged today to be a part of this glorious Catholic Church which Our Lord founded at the cost of His own blood, a Church which even today - this very day, September 14 - encourages Her children to remember Our Lord's Passion and venerate His Holy Cross.
But it behooves us to glory in the cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ: in Whom is our salvation, life, and resurrection; by Whom we are saved and delivered, alleluia, alleluia. (Gal. 6:14, taken from the Introit of today's Mass)
O God, Who dost gladden us this day by the annual solemnity of the exaltation of the Holy Cross, grant, we beseech Thee, that, as we have known its mystery on earth, we may deserve in heaven the reward which it has purchased. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God,
Forever and ever. Amen. (Collect from today's Mass)
Behold the wood of the cross, on which has hung our salvation: come, let us adore! (Veneration of the Cross, Good Friday)
Take a moment today, please, to venerate the cross - even if it's just the small crucifix dangling at the end of your Rosary. Venerate that lignum Crucis, that dulce lignum upon which hung Our Savior - the wood upon which was spilled His precious Blood, upon which was hung His torn flesh.
Sweet the wood, sweet the nails, sweet the load that hangs thereon: to bear up the King and Lord of Heaven nought was worthy save thou, O holy cross. Alleluia.
"Now is the judgment of the world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to Myself."
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