September 14, 2014
Exaltation of the Holy Cross
On Thursday we placed a single red vigil light in the sanctuary in front of the altar. It called to mind a particular day, September 11, an event and three places: twin towers in NYC, a field in Pa and the Pentagon. Within our collective consciousness is a memory of an attack on our nation. We recall the loss of life, of shock and grief, of courage and sacrifice. At ground zero a twisted piece of steel was lifted up from the ruins of the collapsed towers in the shape of a cross. Today is the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross which commemorates the dedication of two Churches over the place of crucifixion and death of Jesus and over the place of his burial. Today the complex is called the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The cross was an instrument of torture; a device the Romans used to administer capital punishment. Symbolic meaning is not intrinsically part of the cross. Its significance is a matter of faith e.g. what we see in it. It speaks of evil and sin, of forgiveness, of hope and resurrection, of God’s salvation in Jesus Christ. The crucifix in our Church is from Indonesia carved by a Moslem carpenter. It is not enough for us to just look upon the crucifix and meditate. We must enter into the mystery of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. The cross exemplifies the meaning of the words of Jesus in the Gospel of John: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but might have eternal life.â€
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