September 14
Exaltation of the Holy Cross
La Croix Glorieuse
The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, commonly called the Triumph or Glorious Cross, commemorates both the discovery of the True Cross by St Helena in the fourth century and the dedication of the basilica built over Calvary in Jerusalem. Traditionally celebrated on September 14, this day recalls not only these historical events but most importantly, the central mystery of Christian faith: that salvation comes through the Cross of Jesus. By exalting the Cross, the Church invites believers to reflect on the paradox that an instrument of suffering and death became the symbol of life and victory through Christ’s sacrifice. This feast is imbued with joy and gratitude, as the Cross reveals the depth of God's love and the possibility of redemption for all humanity.
Beyond its historical roots, the day has a strong spiritual dimension. The liturgy is marked by readings that proclaim the significance of the Cross, such as the famous passage in John’s Gospel: 'When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to myself.' Throughout the centuries, Christians have venerated the Cross not for its physical properties but for what it represents: the turning point of history and the ultimate sign of hope. On this day, the faithful are called to renew their devotion to Christ crucified, recognizing in the Cross both the cost of their redemption and its promise of new life.
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Questions about Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Novus Ordo Missae)
The liturgical day
Mass readings
First readingNb 21, 4b-9
In those days,
on the journey through the desert, the people lost heart.
They complained against God and against Moses:
"Why did you bring us up out of Egypt?
Was it to make us die in the desert,
where there is neither bread nor water?
We are disgusted with this miserable food!"
Then the Lord sent against the people
serpents with fiery bites,
and many among the people of Israel died.
The people came to Moses and said:
"We have sinned,
by complaining against the Lord and against you.
Intercede with the Lord
so that he will take the serpents away from us."
Moses interceded for the people,
and the Lord said to Moses:
"Make a fiery serpent for yourself,
and set it on a pole:
anyone who has been bitten,
when they look at it, then they will live!"
Moses made a bronze serpent
and set it on top of the pole.
When a man was bitten by a serpent,
and he looked at the bronze serpent,
he would live!
– The word of the Lord.
OR
Second readingPh 2, 6-11
Christ Jesus,
though he was in the form of God,
did not regard
equality with God as something to be grasped.
But he emptied himself,
taking the form of a servant,
becoming like men.
Found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient unto death,
even death on a cross.
Therefore God exalted him:
he gave him the Name
which is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend
in heaven, on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess:
"Jesus Christ is Lord"
to the glory of God the Father.
– The word of the Lord.
PsalmPs 77 (78), 3-4a.c, 34-35, 36-37, 38ab.39
We have heard and we know
what our ancestors have told us;
we will pass it on to the coming age,
the glorious deeds of the Lord.
When God struck them, they sought him,
they turned back and came to him:
they remembered that God is their rock,
and God Most High, their redeemer.
But with their mouths they deceived him,
with their tongues they lied to him.
Their hearts were not steadfast toward him;
they were not faithful to his covenant.
But he, merciful,
instead of destroying, forgave them.
He remembered: they are only flesh,
a passing breath that never returns.
GospelJn 3, 13-17
At that time,
Jesus said to Nicodemus:
"No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who came down from heaven,
the Son of Man.
Just as Moses lifted up the bronze 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 whoever believes in him may not perish,
but may have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world
to judge the world,
but so that through him the world might be saved. "
– Let us acclaim the Word of God.
Liturgical texts: © AELF — aelf.org