Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Reading 1
Numbers 21:4b-9
With their patience worn out by the journey,
the people complained against God and Moses,
« Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert,
where there is no food or water?
We are disgusted with this wretched food! »
In punishment the LORD sent among the people saraph serpents,
which bit the people so that many of them died.
Then the people came to Moses and said,
« We have sinned in complaining against the LORD and you.
Pray the LORD to take the serpents from us. »
So Moses prayed for the people, and the LORD said to Moses,
« Make a saraph and mount it on a pole,
and if any who have been bitten look at it, they will live. »
Moses accordingly made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole,
and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent
looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 78:1bc-2, 34-35, 36-37, 38
R. (see 7b) Do not forget the works of the Lord!
Hearken, my people, to my teaching;
incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth in a parable,
I will utter mysteries from of old.
R. Do not forget the works of the Lord!
While he slew them they sought him
and inquired after God again,
Remembering that God was their rock
and the Most High God, their redeemer.
R. Do not forget the works of the Lord!
But they flattered him with their mouths
and lied to him with their tongues,
Though their hearts were not steadfast toward him,
nor were they faithful to his covenant.
R. Do not forget the works of the Lord!
But he, being merciful, forgave their sin
and destroyed them not;
Often he turned back his anger
and let none of his wrath be roused.
R. Do not forget the works of the Lord!
Reading 2
Philippians 2:6-11
Brothers and sisters:
Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God, the Father.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you,
because by your Cross you have redeemed the world.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
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.
Meditation
Beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ abound in each of our lives.
Today, the universal Church celebrates the Feast of the Glorious Cross. This feast reminds every Christian that we are called to place our hope in the Cross of Jesus. In the light of the Cross, our sufferings can take on meaning, and we can experience the power and glory of Christ.
In this morning’s Gospel, the Lord Jesus speaks to Nicodemus and invites him to understand that it is by turning our gaze towards Him and keeping our faith in Him, despite our trials, that we receive the life and salvation He offers us.
But what does it mean to look towards the Cross? It means remaining hopeful and trusting in Jesus, even when we are going through difficult times. It also means imitating Him by learning, as He did, to make our lives a gift.
Our strength as Christians is the Cross. Without it, so much suffering would remain incomprehensible. The Cross is the sign of the supreme gift. To contemplate it is to be able to say to ourselves every day: “Today again, I want to give myself.” I want to offer myself to the Lord and serve humanity through the gift of myself in my family, my Church, my work, and my community.
I choose to give myself despite difficulties, despite my insecurities, despite possible rejection, and despite my suffering. Not because my suffering saves me by itself, but because by uniting it with the suffering of Christ, I allow Jesus to transform my life and unite me to His offering.
Let us therefore not be afraid to give ourselves. Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.
If it is a sin or a weakness that holds us back, let us look towards the Cross. If it is illness, unemployment, an inner wound, or a trial that overwhelms us, let us lay everything at the foot of the Cross and continue to give ourselves according to our abilities.
Jesus will know how to transform all of this and make His glory shine even through our weaknesses. When we offer Him our lives, our joys as well as our sorrows, our victories as well as our failures, He can turn all of this into a path of communion with Him.
Let us therefore look within ourselves: What is the cross we are carrying today? How can we offer ourselves more fully to the Lord through what we are experiencing? Do our sufferings make us turn inward, or do they become, with Jesus, an opportunity to love more deeply?
Let us pray
Lord, grant us the grace to unite ourselves today with Your sacrifice on the Cross. Teach us to give ourselves and to offer You our sufferings and sorrows, but also our joys and victories, so that our whole life may become an offering of love for You and for our brothers and sisters.
Intercession
We pray for all those who are suffering terribly in body or in heart. Heal them, strengthen them, and grant them the grace to find hope in Your Glorious Cross.
Spiritual Exercise
Today, let us make a concrete sacrifice and offer it to the Lord for the salvation of the world and for a person who is going through a particular trial.
Flora KAMTA
Community of the Disciples of the Living Christ
