Exaltation of the Holy Cross: Embracing the Cross in Traditional Catholicism
Summary of Headings
- Introduction to the Homily
- Community Reflections
- Scriptural Readings for the Feast
- The Cross and Its Symbolism
- Historical Context: Constantine and St. Helena
- The Call to Embrace the Cross
- Living with the Cross in Daily Life
- Conclusion: The Cross as Our Battle Standard
Introduction to the Homily
The first sermon is for the First Sunday of Lent in the traditional Catholic liturgical calendar. The second sermon is for the First Sunday of Lent in the traditional Catholic liturgical calendar. The fourth sermon is for the First Sunday of Lent in the traditional Catholic liturgical calendar. The fifth sermon is for the First Sunday of Lent in the traditional Catholic liturgical calendar. The sixth sermon is for the First Sunday of Lent in the traditional Catholic liturgical calendar. The sixth sermon is for the First Sunday of Lent in the traditional Catholic liturgical calendar. The sixth sermon is for the First Sunday of Lent in the traditional Catholic liturgical calendar. The sixth sermon is for the First Sunday of Lent in the traditional Catholic liturgical calendar. The sixth sermon is for the First Sunday of Lent in the traditional Catholic liturgical calendar. The sixth sermon is for the First Sunday of Lent in the traditional Catholic liturgical calendar. The sixth sermon is for the First Sunday of Lent in the traditional Catholic liturgical calendar. The sixth sermon is for the First Sunday of Lent in the traditional Catholic liturgical calendar. The sixth sermon is for the First Sunday of Lent in the traditional Catholic liturgical calendar. The sixth sermon is for the First Sunday of Lent in the traditional Catholic liturgical calendar. The sixth sermon is for the First Sunday of Lent in the traditional Catholic liturgical calendar. The sixth sermon is for the First Sunday of Lent in the traditional Catholic liturgical calendar. The sixth sermon is for the First Sunday of Lent in the traditional Catholic liturgical calendar. The sixth sermon is for the First Sunday of Lent in the traditional Catholic liturgical calendar. The sixth sermon is for the First Sunday of Lent in the traditional Catholic liturgical calendar. The fifth sermon is for the First Sunday of Lent in the traditional Catholic liturgical calendar.
Community Reflections
Everybody was able to get some contact with him anyway, but I think some people left before that happened, so I am sorry about that. But he wanted me, actually he told me, I had to announce this to everybody, which I'm not reluctant to do, that he was very, very touched by what he saw yesterday. He was impressed by how many people came to Mass on the Saturday. He was impressed by how many people stayed around. He was impressed by the community life. He said, we have a wonderful community, and he congratulated you on that, but he also said that he appreciated everything that was said to him and the expressions that he received of gratitude and favor. And also he said that this chapel, this community, represents the best of what we want for the society. So many congratulations in that aspect, and thank you all again very much for that.
After the Mass, we have the Holy Name Society meeting, so that will probably be about half hour after Mass finishes. Today, the second collection will be for the Building Fund. Also, starting tomorrow, we'll have the Mass Novena for Our Lady of Sorrows. So this is your last chance to get the names of the intentions you want into the notes so that we can say the Mass is for those intentions, again, starting tomorrow. So the Book of Intentions is in the bookstore, so if you want to sign in, please do so.
Scriptural Readings for the Feast
The Epistle for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is taken from St. Paul's letter to the Philippians, Chapter 2.
Brethren, let this mind be in you which was also in Jesus Christ, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made a servant of God. So let this mind be in you which was also in Jesus Christ, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but emptied himself, taking being made a servant of God, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made a servant of God, and inhabit found as a man. He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross, for which cause God also hath exalted him, and hath given him a name, and is above all names, that in the name of Jesus every knee should bend of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is the glory of God the Father.
And the Gospel? Let's take him to the Gospel according to St. John, Chapter 12.
At that time Jesus said to the multitudes of the Jews, Now is the judgment of the world. Now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to myself. Now this he said, signifying what death he should die. The multitude answering him said, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth forever, and how sayest thou the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is the Son of Man? Jesus therefore said to him, Yet a little while the light is among you. Walk whilst you have the light, that the darkness not overtake you not. And he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goes. Whilst you have the light, believe in the light, that you may be children of the light. Thus for the Gospel, please be seated. Amen.
The Cross and Its Symbolism
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen. Amen. While in preliminary conversations before the meeting with the Zoning and Planning Commission, it was leaked to us that the city was going to put up a fight about the variance about our cross. So for those who don't know, our building is only four feet under, or four inches, excuse me, four inches under the height limit of a building of our type. And so we're going to be doing a lot of work on that. And then we have a six-foot cross placed on top. So we need a variance to be able to pass the height limit. And apparently the city was going to use this one particular objection to one thing about our building. Considering that just a few years ago they had permitted a Mormon temple to build an 80-foot spire, the natural inclination was to believe that it was about the cross. Their dispute with us was actually about the fact that it was a cross that was going to be on top of the building. And this should not surprise any of us at any point. So I was ready to go into the meeting guns blazing on this point. Fortunately, it was not needed. Everybody was already very content with our situation, so I didn't have to use this. So I'm not going to let this little sermon go to waste. And now you're going to get it instead. Sorry, that's a joke. That was actually not what the intention is here today.
Historical Context: Constantine and St. Helena
But the fact of the matter is we do have a world that hates the cross specifically. Why? What does the cross represent? And why is it so important for us to be able to live and die by having the cross in our lives? Why is it something that is so crucial and necessary for us that we should be willing to fight the powers that be for the right that the cross represents? Why is it that the cross should be on the top of our roof or in our hearts or in our homes or wherever? Why is that? The answer is very simple. Because it is the cross of Christ. Because by that cross we have faith. By that cross we have grace. By that cross we have eternal life. By that cross we have the church, the sacraments, everything. That cross means everything for us.
This feast comes about because of the emperor Constantine. So for those who haven't heard it, here's a little history lesson. The first century of the church, the Roman Empire didn't really recognize the Catholic Church as its own thing. They thought the Catholic Church was some sort of a pseudo-heretical sect splitting off from the splinter sect from the Judaic religion. So they didn't pay any notice until the 60s. The 60 AD more or less. When the emperor Nero, finally understood the difference. And he persecuted the church as a result. Now throughout the next 250 years, the church had been persecuted on different levels. Rarely universally. Rarely it was the whole empire going after the church. But fairly frequently it was. It was persecuted at the very least locally. Almost throughout that entire span of time. Then Diocletian came along. The emperor Diocletian, he did two things very important to understand. He wanted to restore the Roman Empire to its former glory. He wanted to bring it back to a life of virtue. It had fallen into what he referred to as Eastern decadence. He tried to bring it back into something that resembled what it was going to be back in the good old days of the early Caesars. But then in order to do that, one of the things he had to do was clean up the religious question. In the empire. So he tried to restore the old Roman religion. And to eliminate a lot of the so-called pretenders to the other religions within the empire. Most specifically Christianity.
Then began the most bloody, most horrific persecution in the Roman Empire at that time. The persecution against the church was extraordinary. Which is one of the reasons we have some of our greatest martyrs. Saint Philomena included. During that time. So many martyrs. Many. He also divided the empire into four tetrarchies. He was still the emperor. But he had sub-emperors and Caesars under him. Who were supposed to reign locally in different parts of the empire to maintain this rule. And to restore the empire. One of his sub-emperors in the Gallic region was Constantinople. Constansius Chlorus. Literally, Constansius the Green-faced. Apparently he got nauseous very easily. Who was married to a Catholic woman from Britain named Helena. Helen. Who would end up being Saint Helena. She had one child with Constansius. And his name was Constantine.
So throughout the years of Diocletian's reign. He finally resigned from his empire. And left it to Maximus. Who in turn immediately started waging war against the other Caesars and Augustuses. To try to unify the entire empire under his rule. And Constantine, the son of Constansius and Saint Helen. Decided to take up arms against him as well. And the empire was waged. The empire fell into a civil war. Yet again. And Constantine was about to. To embark upon the most important battle of his campaign. To unify the empire. And his mother sent him a letter. Saying that she was praying for him. And that he should pray too.
During the night. He received a vision. Upon which he saw the battlefield. And over the battlefield. The cross in the sky. And it said. And on the cross there was a letter that said. In this sign you shall conquer. So after he woke up. He commanded that all of his. Banners. All of the legions banners. And standards. Had the cross emblazoned upon them. And they won a victory. Against a superior force. And he unified the empire under his rule. And one of the very first things that he did. Is that he recognized. The Catholic Church. As an official religion of the Roman Empire.
Constantine was not a great man. He was not a very good one actually at all. If you read his life. There's a lot of reprehensible things that he did. But he defended the church. He gave it a place in the empire. And he built most of his great basilicas. In Rome itself. If you ever get a chance to go to Rome. There's actually a different strata of history. His churches belong in the second levels. There's still the ruins of the old St. Peter's. Underneath the new one. That he built. But one of the things that he did. Is upon every church that he built. For the Catholic Church. He fixed the Catholic. He fixed the cross. On top of the church. Because under this sign. You shall conquer.
The Call to Embrace the Cross
For us it is important that we remember that. It's not just an idle saying. We have a beautiful hymn. That we sing during the vespers of this feast day. The banner of the king marches forth. The banner of the king marches forth. What is the banner of the king? It is the cross. The banner of Christ the king. Is the cross brought forth. Because on that cross. He was victorious. In the preface we hear the words. The preface of the holy cross. We hear the words. That upon this wood. Where he conquered. He was conquered. Because it was an attempted coup. By the world. To kill our Lord Jesus Christ. The Jews to overthrow him. And to remove his existence. To remove his legacy. It was an attempt to embarrass. And to shame and frighten the Catholic church. And to submission. And what was the end result? The Catholic church ended up conquering.
One famous historian. At one point. Talking about the victory of Constantine. And the liberation of the Catholic church. Under Constantine. Said Christ and Caesar. Met in the arena to fight. And Christ won. But he won without a sword. He won with a cross. He conquered the greatest empire. The world has ever known. By sacrificing and dying on the cross. He conquers the hard hearts. Of human beings. Day after day. Through generosity and sacrifice. And especially obedience.
Living with the Cross in Daily Life
This is what. The cross must mean for us. It is a call to arms. It is a battle standard. Under which we must march into the battle. Because we can't run away from the battle. We can't avoid it. We can't fight the darkness. We have to fight back. We are supposed to. Live a life of the cross. And that comes in every form. Little tiny little ways. Each and every day. That we can actually follow the cross. Take up the cross. And follow our Lord Jesus Christ. Great sacrifices. That we'll have to accomplish. Letting go of things that we dearly love. Embracing God's will above all. Because that is what the cross means.
Remember what St. Paul says in the epistle today. That by obedience. He came into this world. Through obedience. To die upon the cross. That is why he came. It was an act of obedience. And the greatest sacrifice. That God wants of any of us. Is to unite our will to his. And that is why he came. St. Louis de Montfort insists. That the hardest of the three vows. That religious have to take. Of poverty, chastity and obedience. The hardest is that of obedience. Because it is the most personal. It is the most. It represents most perfectly. Who and what we are. And to have to surrender that. Means that we have to accept the fact. That we do not belong to ourselves. We are not our own. We belong to God. We are his. And so everything that we do. And try to strive to win back. Some little independence away from God. Or to represent our own will. Or to gain back. Some power over our own life. And control. Is useless. All we do is end up in more conflict. And more darkness. And more difficulty.
The only way to truly be free. Is to enslave ourselves to Christ. And the only way to do that. Is through the cross of obedience. Obedience representing. All possible virtues. Doing everything because it is the will of God. Everything that we must do. Must be done because it is the will of God. Regardless of who we are. Regardless of how much is asked of us. Regardless of everything. This battle can only be won under the cross of Christ.
Conclusion: The Cross as Our Battle Standard
That cross belongs on top of the church. Because it must call people to the church. Because it is under the cross of Christ. Because it is under the cross of Christ. Because it is under the cross of the church that the church is built. It is by the blood of Christ. That dripped down the cross. By which the church is born. All the hope of the world. Is bound up in the cross of Christ. Saint Elena when she realized. When her son finally realized. His ambition of becoming the emperor. And he released the churches from persecution. She immediately went to the holy land. To search for the true cross of Christ. And she went to the holy land. And she found it. The little relic that we use every day. To do the weather blessing. That is a shard. Just a little tiny piece of the true cross of Christ. If you go to Rome again. In the church of Santa Croce. You will find a much larger piece. But even that is only about this big. They don't have much left of it. They have taken little slivers off all over the world. It is the most important relic that exists. Apart from the blessed sacrament. It is the single most important. Object the church possesses. Because it is the cross of Christ. And it is something that should be precious to us.
When Saint Elena went looking for the cross. She found the cross beam. That was easily recognized. Because it had the plaque upon it. Which had the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Greek and Latin and Hebrew. But then she couldn't figure out. Which one was the long piece. Because in the area where she had found it. In the storage area where she had found it. That was the cross. There were other crosses. She couldn't figure out which one was which. So she found sick people in the area. And she laid them upon each standard of the cross. And the one that started curing people. That is the cross of Christ. Because the cross brings life. The cross brings life. The cross brings life.
A beautiful image from the middle ages. Of the tree of life. It is Christ crucified. And out of the cross is blooming every possible flower and fruit. Because that is exactly what happens. Through Christ's sacrifice comes life. And when we bind ourselves to that sacrifice. And when we bind ourselves to that sacrifice. When we unite ourselves to that sacrifice. Most importantly in the mass. But in our daily life as well. But in our daily life as well. And how we deal with the world. How we deal with confusion and darkness. How we deal with pain and suffering. How we deal with joys and victories. All of these things. All of these things must be united to Christ. To the cross of Christ. In the sacrifice of the mass. Because that is where life comes from. And that is how we can actually find life. And that is how we can actually achieve eternal life. But we must understand what it means. But we must understand what it means.
We must proclaim that. As proudly as possible. We are not going to hide the cross on top of the church. Neither should we hide the cross in our homes. In Japan during the persecutions. In Japan during the persecutions. Of the 17th. Of the 16th and 17th centuries. Sorry 17th and 18th centuries. The faithful Catholics there. The faithful Catholics there had no priests. Had no mass. Had no sacraments. The Japanese government tried to completely obliterate the religion. And so the people managed to maintain fidelity. Through secrecy. But the one thing they kept was the cross. They hid it behind mirrors. They hid it in different parts of their homes. and the way finally that the Japanese realized that they could finally start catching people was to try to force people to step upon the crucifix, because the only people who wouldn't were obviously the Christians, because they held such reverence for it, they would rather die than step on it, and even though it would mean their life if their crosses and crucifixes were found behind the mirrors and in their little hidey holes, if they were discovered that way, they knew it meant their life, but they kept it because they needed it, and they maintained the faith for 200 years entirely on their own because of that, because of that fidelity to the cross.
So next time you're in a public area about to start a meal, think about how you say that make the sign of the cross. The sign of the cross is a confirmation of our faith, but on top of that is it a declaration before the world of who we are. It is the identity of who we are. It is the identity of who we are. It is the identity of who we are. And so rather than duck our head and do that very odd little circular movement that people seem to consider a Catholic gesture, make the sign of the cross properly and appropriately, proudly, because it is the mark of who we are. It is the price of our soul. It is the price of sin. It is the price of heaven. It is the price of hell. It is the price of all things that we need. It is the price of everything, and it is the price of the salvation of each and every one of us. The cross, the sacrifice of the cross was enough to save and redeem every soul that has ever existed, but so few actually take advantage of it by uniting themselves to it.
This is the exaltation of the holy cross because Saint Helen, when she found the cross, one of the first things they did is they held a procession in which they put the cross on high so people could reverence it and read. It is necessary that we put it on high, that we exalt it, that we adore it, that we kiss it, and that we embrace it. Not just appreciating what Christ did from afar, not just carrying our own cross by being dragged behind it by Christ, kicking and screaming, not trying to run away, not groaning and moaning with every step, but embracing it as fully and as completely as our Lord Jesus Christ who is our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the fullness of the holiness that is asked of us to sacrifice ourselves as entirely and as completely in a perfect oblation to God the Father in union with our Lord Jesus Christ, and by doing so we can participate in the very price that was paid for our salvation and enjoy eternal happiness with Christ in heaven.
In the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen. Amen.