September 14th, Feast of the Glorious Cross
The first reading from the Book of Numbers recounts how the people in the desert complained against God. For their ingratitude, the Lord sent serpents among the people to punish them. Moses fashioned a bronze serpent to save those who were bitten by the serpents.
The second reading from the Letter to the Philippians is one of the most beautiful passages of Scripture because it tells us how Christ humbled himself to become one of us in order to save us. By his humility, he was raised above all other creatures and won our salvation.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells us that he had to be lifted up, just as Moses lifted up the serpent, so that all peoples might be saved and brought to eternal life. In the Cross is our salvation and the salvation of all peoples, and it is this redemption that we celebrate today.
About the Feast of the Glorious Cross
Saint Helena was, for a time, the wife of Emperor Constantine and the mother of Emperor Constantine I, the first emperor to become a Christian. With her son’s approval, she traveled to the Holy Land in search of sacred places and relics associated with our Lord. Among the relics she discovered was the True Cross, which she is said to have discovered on this day in 320. By 335, churches had been dedicated to Calvary, and the True Cross was venerated there. This annual feast is an opportunity for us – outside the Easter season – to reflect on the significance of the cross in our lives and on the redemption that Christ won for us through his death and resurrection.
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