Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross: Homily by Fr. Isaac Chima

Christ’s Cross: Our Symbol of Hope

Readings: Num 21, 4-9; Phil 2, 6-11; Jn 3, 13-17

Dear friends in Christ, the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross invites us to celebrate the dedication of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, the Church built on the site where Jesus was crucified and buried, which houses the relics of the Cross of Christ. It is also a day we celebrate the triumph of the Holy Cross, the central position of the Cross in our Christian life, the saving power of the Cross for all who believe, and the transformative power of Christ that turned a symbol of shame into a symbol of hope.

When you look at the Cross of Christ, what do you see and feel, and what message does the Cross of Christ convey to you? Through the readings of today’s Mass, the Church unveils some of the messages that the Cross of Christ gives us.

In the first reading, we saw the communal disobedience and rebellion of Israelites, which resulted in an immediate and severe punishment. One of the dangers of sin is that it distances us from God (Is 59:2), causing us to fall short of His glory (Rom 3:23), grace, and protection. This separation makes it easier for the devil to step in and wreak havoc.

While the Israelites were defencelessly wandering in the desert, they enjoyed God’ grace and protection from human enemies and other threats to their lives in the desert. In today’s passage, as soon as their sins created a rift between them and God, they were immediately attacked by the forces that had previously been restrained by God’s grace and protection. Sin always exposes us to dangers.

However, when they cried to God in the midst of their sorrows and Moses interceded on their behalf, God forgave them and healed them with the symbol of the same creature that afflicted them, which was appended on a tree. Even in the midst of our sins and the sorrows they inflict upon us, if we turn our gaze towards God, He will send us His help.

The symbol of the ancient bronze serpent that healed the Israelites prefigured Christ, as affirmed by Christ in His conversation with Nicodemus in today’s gospel. He said, “As Moses lifted the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” With this affirmation, Jesus tells us that just as the Israelites were healed of their afflictions by looking upon the bronze serpent hung on a tree, those who look up to Him, hanging on the Cross, will be saved from their affliction. Therefore, all those who have distanced themselves from God due to their sins, as well as those who have fallen under the destructive power of the evil one, should not lose hope; the Cross of Christ invites them to look upon it and be saved. The Cross is our symbol of hope, assuring us that the attacks of the enemy will not overcome those who believe in God. It is our symbol of victory over the forces of evil. (Col 2:15).

The second reading provides another message that the Cross of Christ conveys to us. This reading tells us that Christ humbled himself, accepted his cross, and carried it till the end. Therefore, God, who permitted such a cross to befall him, exalted him and rewarded him with the name that is above every name. The cross of Christ reminds us that each of us carries a cross, one that God has permitted us to carry, not for our destruction but for the salvation of our soul. “Carry your cross and follow me,” Jesus said (Mt 16:24).

Your cross could be your spouse, your sick child, your brother struggling with addiction, your stubborn son or daughter, your unemployment, or your lack of resources. Following the example of Jesus, if you carry your cross with humility, trusting God’s love in all situations of life, victory will ultimately be yours. (Phil 2:6-11).

The cross of Christ also speaks to us of the transformative power of our Saviour. Once regarded as a symbol of shame and disgrace, the cross has been transformed into a symbol of hope and victory. Prior to Jesus’ death on the cross, the cross represented shame, a course reserved only for criminals and outlaws (Gal 3:13). Nevertheless, the nature of Jesus is that He transforms whatever He touches. His encounter with this emblem of shame – the cross – transformed it into a symbol of faith and salvation, a symbol that is revered and venerated. Such is the power of Christ.

Dear friends, the Church invites us to allow ourselves to be touched by Jesus. He transforms everything He touches. If he touches you, your life will never remain the same. Today, we have the Cross of Christ in our midst, our symbol of hope and triumph hanging in every church; make sure you also give it a place of honour in your homes. Let us embrace it; let us venerate it, so that we may experience its transformative power, for wherever it is lifted up, all those who gaze upon it will be saved from physical afflictions and eternal damnation.

Peace be with you.

Fr. Isaac Chinemerem Chima

 

 THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS: REFLECTION BY FR. JULIAN EKEH

THEME: MAY YOU NOT PERISH UNDER YOUR CROSS

(John 3:13-17)

Today, we celebrate the exaltation of the cross. We celebrate not the wood of shame but the man who hanged on it to take our shame. We celebrate the great price paid for us in love that we may not perish.  We also celebrate the dedication of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, which is situated in Jerusalem, believed to have been erected on the spot where the Lord was crucified and buried.

We celebrate today following the prophetic message of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospel that just as Moses lifted the serpent in the desert so shall the Son of Man be lifted up that everyone who believes may have eternal life in Him. We celebrate today to deepen our faith in Christ who came into the world to save us through His suffering and death on the cross. Let us reflect on Christ's Cross and our own crosses and endeavour not to be enemies of the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Place of the CROSS in our lives

We celebrate the central position the cross occupies in our lives as Christians. In a very special way, call to mind the saving power of the Cross of Jesus Christ.

 

Sign of Salvation

After the fall of man, who disobeyed through the fruit of the tree, God prefigured the saving of man through the tree. The boat of Noah saved creation from extinction, the staff of Moses made a pathway through the waters for the Israelites to be saved and at the appointed time the Son of God Himself mounted the tree of the cross in obedience to God to save those condemned by the fruit of the tree of Eden. On this tree He restored to man all that was lost. The tree that once brought shame now brought glory. The tree that once closed Eden, became a banner on which the kingdom was declared open.

 

Sign of prayers

In the past the cross was an instrument of ‘God forbid’, but when it encountered our Lord Jesus Christ, the man of prayers, it became a place of prayers. It became a pulpit of evangelization. It became the mountain we look up to. It became a call for prayers, for divine intervention, for God-man relationship, for honouring God. It seems to say to us: ‘Sorsum Corda’. Little wonder we begin and end our prayers with the Sign of the cross.

 

Sign of blessings

We exalt the cross because Christ has transformed it from being associated with curse to being a place of blessing. Therefrom Jesus blessed not only His friends but also His enemies. Jesus on the cross brings the idea of the crucifix, opening our eyes to the fact that nothing is impossible with God. He can turn even the ugliest situation into a blessing. Let us continue to bless ourselves and one another with the Sign of the Cross. At the feet of the cross, those who said ill of Jesus, turned and spoke blessings (Ọnụ ndi kwuru njo tụariri kwuo mma). As we call upon God, may we experience the miracle of the cross in our lives. May all our darkness turn to light. May we bless and place the cross of Jesus in our homes, offices and places of work.  May we not be ashamed of the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

May you never perish under your own cross

Today, we look within ourselves in humility and abandonment to God with the realization of the fact that we've got some crosses to bear. Our crosses are the burdens we carry. They are the sorrows we endure. They are the heartbreaks we go through. They are the disappointments we experience. They are the insults we receive. They are the humiliations we are subjected to. They are the pains and tribulations we encounter on a daily basis.

Your cross may be your wife, your husband, your sick child, your drug addict brother, your shameless daughter, your joblessness, your lack, your sickness, the attacks, etc.

Whatever it is, Jesus has taken it up. In His love, He comes to save you from the pain and sorrows of your various crosses. He comes to take it up. He comes that you may start looking up to Him and no longer to these problems. He comes to make you see divine hand in every situation. Believe in God. If He was able to transform the shameful mark of the cross to something glorious, He can save you from perishing under whatever heavy burden you're in. May the cross of Christ be exalted in your life as a sign of victory and may you rejoice in the Lord for the battles you will win through the glorious sign of salvation given to us by Jesus Christ.

We adore you, Oh Christ, and we praise you, for by your Holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.

Happy Sunday to you.

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh