Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Intention: That the darkness of stigma, exclusion, and marginalization might be dispelled by the light of understanding, acceptance, and respect for the dignity of every person.
Today’s Gospel | John 3:13-17
Jesus said to Nicodemus: “No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.
From the Meditation on the Exaltation of the Holy Cross | Saint John Baptist de La Salle
All the external and internal honors we can pay to the Savior’s cross will be of little use to us unless we honor it in another way, by bearing constantly, as a good and faithful servant, the cross that the same Jesus, our Master, wishes to give us, who remember that he was quite willing to be crucified for love of us. As Minucius Felix so well says, although Jesus Christ requires that we adore his Holy Cross, this is not what he asks the most. It is that we drink cheerfully of his sacred chalice if we desire to be his friend and to have a place with him in his kingdom.
Prayer
Eternal Father, in times of trouble we call out to you, for we know you will answer us. When hurt and suffering close in on us, let there be room in our hearts for faith. Dissolve our fears; renew within us the spirit of trust and peace. Bless us with your healing so that we can witness your light and love to others, especially those whose pain and trials are far greater than our own. We ask this of who lives and reigns with your Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.