Sep 14, Midday Prayer for Triumph of the Cross

Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:
Ordinary: 623
Proper of Saints: 1395 (Midday)
Psalter: Friday, Week III, 1056 (Midday)

Midday Prayer for Friday, the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross, using the Current Psalmody

God, come to my assistance.
– Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

HYMN

Per crucem et passionem tuam
Libera nos domine, domine
(repeated 4X)

English translation

Through Thy Cross and Passion,
Good Lord, deliver us

Per Crucem (By Your Cross) by Melinda Kirigin-Voss
“Per Crucem” Performed by Melinda Kirigin-Voss is available from Amazon.com

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Save us, O Saviour of the world. On the cross you redeemed us by the shedding of your blood; we cry out for your help, O God.

Psalm 22
God hears the suffering cry of his Holy One
Jesus cried with a loud voice: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46).

I

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
You are far from my plea and the cry of my distress.
O my God, I call by day and you give no reply;
I call by night and I find no peace.

Yet you, O God, are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
In you our fathers put their trust;
they trusted and you set them free.
When they cried to you, they escaped.
In you they trusted and never in vain.

But I am a worm and no man,
scorned by men, despised by the people.
All who see me deride me.
They curl their lips, they toss their heads.
“He trusted in the Lord, let him save him;
let him release him if this is his friend.”

Yes, it was you who took me from the womb,
entrusted me to my mother’s breast.
To you I was committed from my birth,
from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
Do not leave me alone in my distress;
come close, there is none else to help.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

II

Many bulls have surrounded me,
fierce bulls of Bashan close me in.
Against me they open wide their jaws,
like lions, rending and roaring.

Like water I am poured out,
disjointed are all my bones.
My heart has become like wax,
it is melted within my breast.

Parched as burnt clay is my throat,
my tongue cleaves to my jaws.

Many dogs have surrounded me,
a band of the wicked beset me.
They tear holes in my hands and my feet
and lay me in the dust of death.

I can count every one of my bones.
These people stare at me and gloat;
they divide my clothing among them.
They cast lots for my robe.

O Lord, do not leave me alone,
my strength, make haste to help me!
Rescue my soul from the sword,
my life from the grip of these dogs.
Save my life from the jaws of these lions,
my poor soul from the horns of these oxen.

I will tell of your name to my brethren
and praise you where they are assembled.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

III

“You who fear the Lord, give him praise;
all sons of Jacob, give him glory.
Revere him, Israel’s sons.

For he has never despised
nor scorned the poverty of the poor.
From him he has not hidden his face,
but he heard the poor man when he cried.”

You are my praise in the great assembly.
My vows I will pay before those who fear him.
The poor shall eat and shall have their fill.
They shall praise the Lord, those who seek him.
May their hearts live for ever and ever!

All the earth shall remember and return to the Lord,
all families of the nations worship before him
for the kingdom is the Lord’s; he is the ruler of the nations.
They shall worship him, all the mighty of the earth;
before him shall bow all who go down to the dust.

And my soul shall live for him, my children serve him.
They shall tell of the Lord to the generations yet to come,
declare his faithfulness to peoples yet unborn:
“These things the Lord has done.”

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm-prayer

Father, when your Son was handed over to torture and seemed abandoned by you, he cried out to you from the cross and death was destroyed, life was restored. By his death and resurrection, may we see the day when the poor man is saved, the downtrodden is lifted up and the chains that bind peoples are broken. United to the thanks that Christ gives you, your Church will sing your praises.

Ant. Save us, O Saviour of the world. On the cross you redeemed us by the shedding of your blood; we cry out for your help, O God.

READING Ephesians 1:7-8

It is in Christ and through his blood that we have been redeemed and our sins forgiven, so immeasurably generous is God’s favor to us.

Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) – a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.

Let the whole world worship you and sing your praises.
– Let everyone sing psalms to your name, O Lord.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

O God,
who willed that your Only Begotten Son
should undergo the Cross to save the human race,
grant, we pray, that we, who have known his mystery on earth,
may merit the grace of his redemption in heaven.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.

ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community)

Let us praise the Lord.
– And give him thanks.

Sep 14, Evening Prayer for Triumph of the Cross

Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:
Ordinary: 632
All from the Proper of Saints: 1396

Christian Prayer:
Ordinary: 694
All from the Proper of Saints: 1256

Evening Prayer for the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross

God, come to my assistance.
– Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

HYMN

Per crucem et passionem tuam
Libera nos domine, domine
(repeated 4X)

English translation

Through Thy Cross and Passion,
Good Lord, deliver us

Per Crucem (By Your Cross) by Melinda Kirigin-Voss
“Per Crucem” Performed by Melinda Kirigin-Voss is available from Amazon.com

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 What a great work of charity! Death itself died when life was slain on the tree.

Psalm 110
The Messiah, king and priest
Christ’s reign will last until all his enemies are made subject to him (1 Corinthians 15:25).

The Lord’s revelation to my Master:
“Sit on my right:
your foes I will put beneath your feet.”

The Lord will wield from Zion
your scepter of power:
rule in the midst of all your foes.

A prince from the day of your birth
on the holy mountains;
from the womb before the dawn I begot you.

The Lord has sworn an oath he will not change.
“You are a priest for ever,
a priest like Melchizedek of old.”

The Master standing at your right hand
will shatter kings in the day of his great wrath.

He shall drink from the stream by the wayside
and therefore he shall lift up his head.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. What a great work of charity! Death itself died when life was slain on the tree.

Ant. 2 We worship your cross, O Lord, and we commemorate your glorious passion. You suffered for us; have mercy on us.

Psalm 116
Thanksgiving in the Temple
Through Christ let us offer God a continual sacrifice of praise (Hebrews 13:15).

I trusted, even when I said:
“I am sorely afflicted,”
and when I said in my alarm:
“No man can be trusted.”

How can I repay the Lord
for his goodness to me?
The cup of salvation I will raise;
I will call on the Lord’s name.

My vows to the Lord I will fulfill
before all his people.
O precious in the eyes of the Lord
is the death of his faithful.

Your servant, Lord, your servant am I;
you have loosened my bonds.
A thanksgiving sacrifice I make:
I will call on the Lord’s name.

My vows to the Lord I will fulfill
before all his people,
in the courts of the house of the Lord,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. We worship your cross, O Lord, and we commemorate your glorious passion. You suffered for us; have mercy on us.

Ant. 3 We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, for by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Canticle — Revelation 4:11; 5:9, 10, 12
Redemption hymn

O Lord our God, you are worthy
to receive glory and honor and power.

For you have created all things;
by your will they came to be and were made.

Worthy are you, O Lord,
to receive the scroll and break open its seals.

For you were slain;
with your blood you purchased for God
men of every race and tongue,
of every people and nation.

You made of them a kingdom,
and priests to serve our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
to receive power and riches,
wisdom and strength,
honor and glory and praise.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, for by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

READING 1 Corinthians 1:23-24

We preach Christ crucified—a stumbling block to Jews, and an absurdity to Gentiles; but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) – a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.

RESPONSORY

O glorious cross, on you the King of angels was victorious.
– O glorious cross, on you the King of angels was victorious.

And he has washed away our sins in his own blood.
– On you the King of angels was victorious.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
– O glorious cross, on you the King of angels was victorious.

CANTICLE OF MARY

Ant. O cross, you are the glorious sign of our victory. Through your power may we share in the triumph of Christ Jesus.

Luke 1:46-55
The soul rejoices in the Lord

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. O cross, you are the glorious sign of our victory. Through your power may we share in the triumph of Christ Jesus.

INTERCESSIONS

Let us pray with confidence to Christ who endured the cross to save us:
– Lord, through your cross bring us to the glory of your kingdom.

O Christ, you emptied yourself, taking the form of a servant and being made like us,
grant that your people may follow the example of your humility.
– Lord, through your cross bring us to the glory of your kingdom.

O Christ, you humbled yourself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross,
grant that your servants may imitate your obedience and willing acceptance of trials.
– Lord, through your cross bring us to the glory of your kingdom.

O Christ, you were raised up by the Father and given the name that is above all other names,
may your people, strengthened in the hope of a heavenly resurrection, persevere to the end.
– Lord, through your cross bring us to the glory of your kingdom.

O Christ, at your name every knee in heaven, on earth and under the earth will bend in adoration,
pour out your love upon all men that they may join together in proclaiming your glory.
– Lord, through your cross bring us to the glory of your kingdom.

O Christ, every tongue shall confess that you are Lord to the glory of God the Father,
welcome our brothers and sisters who have died into the unfailing joy of your kingdom.
– Lord, through your cross bring us to the glory of your kingdom.

Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Concluding Prayer

O God,
who willed that your Only Begotten Son
should undergo the Cross to save the human race,
grant, we pray, that we, who have known his mystery on earth,
may merit the grace of his redemption in heaven.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.

DISMISSAL

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life.
– Amen.

Sep 14, Night Prayer for Friday of the 23rd week of Ordinary Time

Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours:
Vol I, Page 1185
Vol II, Page 1642
Vol III, Page 1285
Vol IV, Page 1249

Christian Prayer:
Page 1052

General instruction:
Please pray with us actively, especially by joining with us in saying antiphons and responses, most of which are indicated in this highlight.

Consider an examination of your own conscience before beginning to best make use of our time together in prayer.

Night Prayer for Friday

God, come to my assistance.
– Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

Examination of conscience:

We are called to have a clear conscience toward God and toward men, in our hearts and in our minds, in our actions and inactions. To do so, it is vital that we examine our conscience daily and to ask for God’s mercy as we fall short and to ask for His strength to do better.

I confess to almighty God,
and to you, my brothers and sisters,
that I have greatly sinned,
in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done and in what I have failed to do,
And, striking your breast, say:
through my own fault, through my fault,
through my most grievous fault;
Then continue:
therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-virgin,
all the Angels and Saints,
and you, my brothers and sisters,
to pray for me to the Lord our God.
With a priest present, this absolution will be given:
May almighty God have mercy on us,
forgive us our sins,
and bring us to everlasting life.
The people reply: Amen

HYMN

Peace be to you and grace from Him
Who freed us from our sin
Who loved us all, and shed his blood
That we might saved be.
Sing holy, holy to our Lord
The Lord almighty God
Who was and is, and is to come
Sing holy, holy Lord.
Rejoice in heaven,
all ye that dwell therein
Rejoice on earth, ye saints below
For Christ is coming,
Is coming soon
For Christ is coming soon.
E’en so Lord Jesus quickly come
And night shall be no more
They need no light, no lamp, nor sun
For Christ will be their All!

E’en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come by Choir of The Cathedral of the Madeleine & The Madeleine Choir School

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Day and night I cry to you, my God.

Psalm 88
Prayer of a sick person
This is your hour when darkness reigns (Luke 22:53).

Lord my God, I call for help by day;
I cry at night before you.
Let my prayer come into your presence.
O turn your ear to my cry.

For my soul is filled with evils;
my life is on the brink of the grave.
I am reckoned as one in the tomb;
I have reached the end of my strength,

Like one alone among the dead,
like the slain lying in their graves,
like those you remember no more,
cut off, as they are, from your hand.

You have laid me in the depths of the tomb,
in places that are dark, in the depths.
Your anger weighs down upon me;
I am drowned beneath your waves.

You have taken away my friends
and made me hateful in their sight.
Imprisoned, I cannot escape;
my eyes are sunken with grief.

I call to you, Lord, all the day long;
to you I stretch out my hands.
Will you work your wonders for the dead?
Will the shades stand and praise you?

Will your love be told in the grave
or your faithfulness among the dead?
Will your wonders be known in the dark
or your justice in the land of oblivion?

As for me, Lord, I call to you for help;
in the morning my prayer comes before you.
Lord, why do you reject me?
Why do you hide your face?

Wretched, close to death from my youth,
I have borne your trials; I am numb.
Your fury has swept down upon me;
your terrors have utterly destroyed me.

They surround me all the day like a flood,
they assail me all together.
Friend and neighbor you have taken away:
my one companion is darkness.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Day and night I cry to you, my God.

READING Jeremiah 14:9a

You are in our midst, O Lord,
your name we bear:
do not forsake us, O Lord, our God!

RESPONSORY

Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.
– Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.

You have redeemed us, Lord God of truth.
– I commend my spirit.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
– Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.

Gospel Canticle

Ant. Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake; watch over us as we sleep, that awake, we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep, rest in his peace.

Luke 2:29-32
Christ is the light of the nations and the glory of Israel

Lord, now you let your servant go in peace;
your word has been fulfilled:

my own eyes have seen the salvation
which you have prepared in the sight of every people:

a light to reveal you to the nations
and the glory of your people Israel.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake; watch over us as we sleep, that awake, we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep, rest in his peace.

Concluding Prayer

All-powerful God
keep us united with your Son
in his death and burial
so that we may rise to new life with him,
who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
– Amen.

Blessing

May the all-powerful Lord grant us a restful night and a peaceful death.
– Amen.

Antiphon or song in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Exaltation of the Holy Cross

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Feast Day
September 14

Holy Cross - San Clemente, Rome
(Detail of apse mosaic, 12th century)

Adoramus te, christe, et benedicimus tibi,
quia per crucem tuam redemisti mundum.
We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee,
for by thy cross thou hast redeemed the world.
+ + +
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him may not perish, but have everlasting life.
- John 3:16 (Douay)
Introduction | Prayer, Scripture | Suggestions for Family Celebration | Pope John Paul II -- Excerpts from homily September 14, 2003

On the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross (or Triumph of the Cross) we honor the Holy Cross by which Christ redeemed the world. The public veneration of the Cross of Christ originated in the fourth century, according to early accounts. The miraculous discovery of the cross on September 14, 326, by Saint Helen, mother of Constantine, while she was on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, is the origin of the tradition of celebrating the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross on this date. Constantine later built the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on the site of her discovery of the cross. On this same pilgrimage she ordered two other churches built: one in Bethlehem near the Grotto of the Nativity, the other on the Mount of the Ascension, near Jerusalem.
In the Western Church the feast came into prominence in the seventh century — after 629, when the Byzantine emperor Heraclitus restored the Holy Cross to Jerusalem, after defeating the Persians who had stolen it.
Christians “exalt” (raise on high) the Cross of Christ as the instrument of our salvation. Adoration of the Cross is, thus, adoration of Jesus Christ, the God Man, who suffered and died on this Roman instrument of torture for our redemption from sin and death. The cross represents the One Sacrifice by which Jesus, obedient even unto death, accomplished our salvation. The cross is a symbolic summary of the Passion, Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ — all in one image.
The Cross — because of what it represents — is the most potent and universal symbol of the Christian faith. It has inspired both liturgical and private devotions: for example, the Sign of the Cross, which is an invocation of the Holy Trinity; the “little” Sign of the Cross on head, lips, and heart at the reading of the Gospel; praying the Stations (or Way) of the Cross; and the Veneration of the Cross by the faithful on Good Friday by kissing the feet of the image of Our Savior crucified.
Placing a crucifix (the cross with an image of Christ’s body upon it) in churches and homes, in classrooms of Catholic schools and in other Catholic institutions, or wearing this image on our persons, is a constant reminder — and witness — of Christ’s ultimate triumph, His victory over sin and death through His suffering and dying on the Cross.
We remember Our Lord’s words, “He who does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake shall find it” (Mt 10:38,39). Meditating on these words we unite ourselves — our souls and bodies — with His obedience and His sacrifice; and we rejoice in this inestimable gift through which we have the hope of salvation and the glory of everlasting life.

Dying, you destroyed our death; rising you restored our life.
Save us by your cross, Christ our Redeemer.
(Antiphon for Afternoon prayer)

Prayer, Scripture

Collect:
O God, who willed that your Only Begotten Son
should undergo the Cross to save the human race,
grant, we pray,
that we, who have known His mystery on earth,
may merit the grace of His redemption in heaven.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.
First Reading: Numbers 21:4b-9
The people became impatient on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food." Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. And the people came to Moses, and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD, that He take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and every one who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live." So Moses made a bronze serpent, and set it on a pole; and if a serpent bit any man, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.
Second Reading: Philippians 2:6-11
Though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, 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.
Gospel Reading:John 3:13-17
No one has ascended into heaven but He who descended from heaven, the Son of man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life."

For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
+ + +
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
He who believes in Him is not condemned; He who does not believe is condemned already, because He has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
-- John 3:16-18
+ + +
In [God ] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us. For He has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of His will, according to His purpose, which He set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things to Him, things in heaven and things on earth.
-- Ephesians 1:7-8
+ + +
Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likenes of men. And being found in human form He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.
Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, 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.
-- Philippians 2:5-11
+ + +
You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. Through Him you have confidence in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
-- I Peter:18,19,21
(Scripture passages from the Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition)
+ + +
Jesus dies upon the Cross
Meditation on the Twelfth Station by John Henry Cardinal Newman
"Consummatum est." It is completed — it has come to a full end. The mystery of God's love toward us is acomplished. The price is paid, and we are redeemed. The Eternal Father determined not to pardon us without a price, in order to show us especial favor. He condescended to make us valuable to Him. What we buy we put a value on. He might have saved us without a price — by the mere fiat of His will. But to show His love for us He took a price, which, if there was to be a price set upon us at all, if there was any ransom at all to be taken for the guilt of our sins, could be nothing short of the death of His Son in our nature. O my God and Father, Thou hast valued us so much as to pay the highest of all possible prices for our sinful souls — and shall we not love and choose Thee above all things as the one necessary and one only good?
Suggestions for family activities

If possible attend Mass together. Consider taking your family to a church that has especially fine Stations of the Cross. Look at the images and explain their meaning. At each station pray, "We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, for by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world." At the end, have the children kneel before the Blessed Sacrament and say a Hail Mary, an Our Father, and a Glory be.
Make the evening meal today more festive than ordinary — light candles on the table or use the good dishes.
Read one or more of the prayers or scripture readings for the day before the evening meal. Older children could take turns doing the readings.
Begin teaching even the very youngest members of the family to make the Sign of the Cross at the end of the mealtime prayers. (Older brothers and sisters usually will be very glad to help the baby with this.)
Explain to children the meaning of the Sign of the Cross that we make before meals, and point out how this action is intended to unite every one of us with Jesus' sacrifice for us — His crucifixion and His resurrection from the dead.
Make a point of mentioning how great is God's love for us. Encourage children to memorize John 3:16. This is a key verse about the triumph of Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross, and encourages children to revere and respect God's word in the Bible. Give a small reward or privilege to each child who memorizes the verse. Have them recite it for you when they say their bedtime prayers.
Two suggestions:

-- Have grade-school-age children write the verse in their fanciest writing and illustrate it with a drawing of Jesus on the Cross. Even little people think a lot when they are drawing something. Maybe you could set a crucifix on the table for them to look at when they draw it. (Don't forget to display the results on the refrigerator — or maybe send it to grandma.)

-- Frost a sheet cake with white icing, make a large cross on the cake with red icing, and pipe "John 3:16" on the Cross. Let the children help decorate the cake further with silver dragees or colored sprinkles.

If there are crucifixes in the children's rooms, make sure to call attention to it at bedtime prayers. If not, today would be a very good time to get them.

O Crux, ave spes unica! Hail, O Cross, our only hope!

Dear Brothers and Sisters, we are invited to look upon the Cross. It is the “privileged place” where the love of God is revealed and shown to us.… On the Cross human misery and divine mercy meet. The adoration of this unlimited mercy is for man the only way to open himself to the mystery which the Cross reveals.
The Cross is planted in the earth and would seem to extend its roots in human malice, but it reaches up, pointing as it were to the heavens, pointing to the goodness of God. By means of the Cross of Christ, the Evil One has been defeated, death is overcome, life is given to us, hope is restored, light is imparted. O Crux, ave spes unica!…
“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15), says Jesus. What do we see then when we bring our eyes to bear on the cross where Jesus was nailed (cf. John 19:37)? We contemplate the sign of God’s infinite love for humanity.
O Crux, ave spes unica! Saint Paul speaks of the same theme in the letter to the Ephesians…. Not only did Christ Jesus become man, in everything similar to human beings, but He took on the condition of a servant and humbled Himself even more by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (cf. Philippians 2:6-8).
Yes, “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son” (John 3:16). We admire — overwhelmed and gratified — the breadth and length and height and depth of the love of Christ which surpasses all knowledge (cf. Ephesians 3:18-19)! O Crux, ave spes unica! …
Through the mystery of your Cross and your Resurrection, save us O Lord! Amen

— Pope John Paul II -- Excerpts from homily September 14, 2003

St. Francis' Prayer Before the Crucifix

Most High
glorious God,
enlighten the darkness
of my heart.
Give me
right faith,
sure hope
and perfect charity.
Fill me with understanding
and knowledge
that I may fulfill
your command.

Strange Medicine and the Gaze that Saves: A Meditation on the Triumph of the Cross
Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Roodmas)
The Elevation of the Venerable and Life-Giving Cross September 14 [Orthodox/Latin (Catholic) Caucus]
The Exaltation of the Holy Cross - September 14th (history) [Ecumenical}
Sermon for 14 September at Blackfen (Fr. Zuhlsdorf)

Exaltation of the Glorious Cross - September 14
We All Praise the Tree that should be Worshipped -- Feast of the Elevation of the Most Holy and Life-Giving Cross
Exultation/Triumph of the Holy Cross
The Elevation of the Venerable and Life-Giving Cross
The Feast of the Holy Cross (Fr. Elfeghali's report)
Catholic, Crusader, Leper and King: The Life of Baldwin IV and the Triumph of the Cross
HOMILIES PREACHED BY FATHER ALTIER ON THE FEAST OF THE TRIUMPH OF THE HOLY CROSS
Orthodox Feast of The Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross, September 14
Triumph of the Cross - September 14th
Feast of The Exaltation of The Holy Cross - September 14

Information: The Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Feast Day:

September 14

Interactive Saints for Kids

Triumph of the Cross

Feast Day: September 14

Today we celebrate our love for Jesus and show him how grateful we are through our respect for the cross.

The cross was once the greatest symbol of shame. Criminals preferred to be killed by the sword instead of dying a shameful death on the cross.

Jesus chose the worst kind of death for us to give us our salvation. He took on the suffering and shame of the cross.

For Christians the cross has now become the most sacred symbol. When the cross has the image of the suffering Christ on it, that cross is called a crucifix.

The crucifix on our bedroom wall and the crucifix or cross worn around our neck is an important reminder that Jesus paid a price for us.

For hundreds of years pieces of the true cross have been treasured by devout Christians. It is believed that Emperor Heraclius recovered pieces of wood from the cross of Jesus in 629.

He and his soldiers honored these pieces and invited all the people in the area to join them. Even before that time, Christians honored and loved the symbol of the cross.

The word "cross" can also mean the sufferings that come our way. When we accept them lovingly and with patience as Jesus did his cross, we become "cross-bearers" like Jesus.

Reflection: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world!

John
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	John 3
13.	And no man hath ascended into heaven, but he that descended from heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven.	Et nemo ascendit in cælum, nisi qui descendit de cælo, Filius hominis, qui est in cælo.	και ουδεις αναβεβηκεν εις τον ουρανον ει μη ο εκ του ουρανου καταβας ο υιος του ανθρωπου ο ων εν τω ουρανω
14.	And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of man be lifted up:	Et sicut Moyses exaltavit serpentem in deserto, ita exaltari oportet Filium hominis :	και καθως μωσης υψωσεν τον οφιν εν τη ερημω ουτως υψωθηναι δει τον υιον του ανθρωπου
15.	That whosoever believeth in him, may not perish; but may have life everlasting.	ut omnis qui credit in ipsum, non pereat, sed habeat vitam æternam.	ινα πας ο πιστευων εις αυτον μη αποληται αλλ εχη ζωην αιωνιον
16.	For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting.	Sic enim Deus dilexit mundum, ut Filium suum unigenitum daret : ut omnis qui credit in eum, non pereat, sed habeat vitam æternam.	ουτως γαρ ηγαπησεν ο θεος τον κοσμον ωστε τον υιον αυτου τον μονογενη εδωκεν ινα πας ο πιστευων εις αυτον μη αποληται αλλ εχη ζωην αιωνιον
17.	For God sent not his Son into the world, to judge the world, but that the world may be saved by him.	Non enim misit Deus Filium suum in mundum, ut judicet mundum, sed ut salvetur mundus per ipsum.	ου γαρ απεστειλεν ο θεος τον υιον αυτου εις τον κοσμον ινα κρινη τον κοσμον αλλ ινα σωθη ο κοσμος δι αυτου

13. And no man has ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

AUG. After taking notice of this lack of knowledge in a person, who, on the strength of his magisterial station, set himself above others, and blaming the unbelief of such men, our Lord says, that if such as these do not believe, others will: No one has ascended into heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of man who is in heaven. This may be rendered: The spiritual birth shall be of such sort, as that men from being earthly shall become heavenly: which will not be possible, except they are made members of Me; so that he who ascends, becomes one with Him who descended. Our Lord accounts His body, i.e. His Church, as Himself.

GREG. Forasmuch as we are made one with Him, to the place from which He came alone in Himself, thither He returns alone in us; and He who is ever in heaven, daily ascends to heaven.

AUG. Although He was made the Son of man upon earth, yet His Divinity with which, remaining in heaven, He descended to earth, He has declared not to disagree with the title of Son of man, as He has thought His flesh worthy the name of Son of God. For through the Unity of person, by which both substances are one Christ, He walked upon earth, being Son of God; and remained in heaven, being Son of man. And the belief of the greater, involves belief in the less. If then the Divine substance, which is so far more removed from us, and could for our sake take up the substance of man so as to unite them in one person; how much more easily may we believe, that the Saints united with the man Christ, become with Him one Christ, so that while it is true of all, that they ascend by grace, it is at the same time true, that He alone ascends to heaven, Who came down from heaven.

CHRYS. Or thus: Nicodemus having said, We know that You are a teacher sent from God; our Lord says, And no man has ascended, &c. in that He might not appear to be a teacher only like one of the Prophets.

THEOPHYL. But when you hear that the Son of man came down from heaven, think not that His flesh came down from heaven; for this is the doctrine of those heretics, who held that Christ took His Body from heaven, and only passed through the Virgin.

CHRYS. By the title Son of man here, He does not mean His flesh, but Himself altogether; the lesser part of His nature being put to express the whole. It is not uncommon with Him to name Himself wholly from His humanity, or wholly from His divinity.

BEDE; If a man of set purpose descend naked to the valley, and there providing himself with clothes and armor, ascend the mountain again, he who ascended may be said to be the same with him who descended.

HILARY; Or, His descending from heaven is the source of His origin as conceived by the Spirit: Mary gave not His body its origin, though the natural qualities of her sex contributed its birth and increase. That He is the Son of man is from the birth of the flesh which was conceived in the Virgin. That He is in heaven is form the power of His everlasting nature, which did not contract the power of the Word of God, which is infinite, within the sphere of a finite body. Our Lord remaining in the form of a servant, far from the whole circle, inner and outer, of heaven and the world, yet as Lord of heaven and the world, was not absent therefrom. So then He came down from heaven because He was the Son of man; and He was in heaven, because the Word, which was made flesh, had not ceased to be the Word.

AUG. But you wonder that He was at once here, and in heaven. Yet such power has He given to His disciples. Hear Paul, Our conversation is in heaven. If the man Paul walked upon earth, and had his conversation in heaven; shall not the God of heaven and earth be able to be in heaven and earth?

CHRYS. That too which seems very lofty is still unworthy of His vastness. For He is not in heaven only, but every where, and fills all things. But for the present He accommodates Himself to the weakness of His hearer, that by degrees He may convert him.

14. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15. That whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

CHRYS. Having made mention of the gift of baptism, He proceeds to the source of it, i.e. the cross: And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up.

BEDE; He introduces the teacher of the Mosaic law, to the spiritual sense of that law; by a passage from the Old Testament history, which was intended to be a figure of His Passion, and of man's salvation.

AUG. Many dying in the wilderness from the attack of the serpents, Moses, by commandment of the Lord, lifted up a brazen serpent and those who looked upon it were immediately healed. The lifting up of the serpent is the death of Christ; the cause, by a certain mode of construction, being put for the effect. The serpent was the cause of death, inasmuch as he persuaded man into that sin, by which he merited death. Our Lord, however, did not transfer sin, i.e. the poison of the serpent, to his flesh, but death; in order that in the likeness of sinful flesh, there might be punishment without sin, by virtue of which sinful flesh might be delivered both from punishment and from sin.

THEOPHYL. See then the aptness of the figure. The figure of the serpent has the appearance of the beast, but not its poison: in the same way Christ came in the likeness of sinful flesh, being free from sin. By Christ's being lifted up, understand His being suspended on high, by which suspension He sanctified the air, even as He had sanctified the earth by walking upon it. Herein too is typified the glory of Christ: for the height of the cross was made His glory for in that He submitted to be judged, He judged the prince of this world; for Adam died justly, because he sinned; out Lord unjustly, because He did no sin. So He overcame him, who delivered Him over to death, and thus delivered Adam from death. And in this the devil found himself vanquished, that he could not upon the cross torment our Lord into hating His murderers: but only made Him love and pray for them the more. In this way the cross of Christ was made His lifting up, and glory.

CHRYS. Wherefore He does not say, The Son of man must be suspended, but lifted up, a more honorable term, but coming near the figure. He uses the figure to show that the old dispensation is akin to the new, and to show on His hearers' account that He suffered voluntarily; and that His death issued in life.

AUG. As then formerly he who looked to the serpent that was lifted up, was healed of its poison, and saved from death; so now he who is conformed to the likeness of Christ's death by faith and the grace of baptism, is delivered both from sin by justification, and from death by the resurrection: as He Himself said; That whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. What need then is there that the child should be conformed by baptism to the death of Christ, if he be not altogether tainted by the poisonous bite of the serpent?

CHRYS. Observe; He alludes to the Passion obscurely, in consideration to His hearer; but the fruit of the Passion He unfolds plainly; viz. that they who believe in the Crucified One should not perish. And if they who believe in the Crucified live, much more shall the Crucified One Himself.

AUG. But there is this difference between the figure and the reality, that the one recovered from temporal death, the other from eternal.

16. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

CHRYS. Having said, Even so must the Son of man be lifted up, alluding to His death; lest His hearer should be cast down by His words, forming some human notion of Him, and thinking of His death as an evil, He corrects this by saying, that He who was given up to death was the Son of God, and that His death would be the source of life eternal; So God loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life; as if He said, Marvel not that I must be lifted up, that you may be saved: for so it seems good to the Father, who has so loved you, that He has given His Son to suffer for ungrateful and careless servants. The text, God so loved the world, shows intensity of love. For great indeed and infinite is the distance between the two. He who is without end, or beginning of existence, Infinite Greatness, loved those who were of earth and ashes, creatures laden with sins innumerable. And the act which springs from the love is equally indicative of its vastness. For God gave not a servant, or an Angel, or an Archangel, but His Son. Again, had He had many sons, and given one, this would have been a very great gift; but now He has given His Only Begotten Son.

HILARY; If it were only a creature given up for the sake of a creature, such a poor and insignificant loss were no great evidence of love. They must be precious things which prove our love, great things must evidence its greatness. God, in love to the world, gave His Son, not an adopted Son, but His own, even His Only Begotten. Here is proper Sonship, birth, truth: no creation, no adoption, no lie: here is the test of love and charity, that God sent His own and only begotten Son to save the world.

THEOPHYL As He said above, that the Son of man came down from heaven, not meaning that His flesh did come down from heaven, on account of the unity of person in Christ, attributing to man what belonged to God: so now conversely what belongs to man, he assigns to God the Word. The Son of God was impassible; but being one in respect of person with man who was passable, the Son is said to be given up to death, inasmuch as He truly suffered, not in His own nature, but in His own flesh. From this death follows an exceeding great and incomprehensible benefit: viz. that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. The Old Testament promised to those who obey obeyed it, length of days: the Gospel promises life eternal, and imperishable.

BEDE; Note here, that the same which he before said of the Son of man, lifted up on the cross, he repeats of the only begotten Son of God: viz. That whosoever believes in Him, &c. For the same our Maker and Redeemer, who was Son of God before the world was, was made at the end of the world the Son of man; so that He who by the power of His Godhead had created us to enjoy the happiness of an endless life, the same restored us to the life we have lost by taking our human frailty upon Him.

ALCUIN. Truly through the Son of God shall the world have life; for no other cause came He into the world, except to save the world. God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

AUG. For why is He called the Savior of the world, but because He saves the world? The physician, so far as his will is concerned, heals the sick. If the sick despises or will not observe the directions of the physician, he destroys himself.

Catena Aurea John 3

The Crucifixion

Don Silvestro dei Gherarducci

c. 1365
Tempera on panel, 137 x 82 cm
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Catholic

Almanac:

Friday, September 14
Liturgical Color: Red
Today is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. "For the message of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (1 Cor. 1:18)

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for: September 14, 2012
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: O God, who willed that your Only Begotten Son should undergo the Cross to save the human race, grant, we pray, that we, who have known his mystery on earth, may merit the grace of his redemption in heaven. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

RECIPES

ACTIVITIES

PRAYERS

Ordinary Time: September 14th

Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Old Calendar: Exaltation of the Holy Cross; St. Maternus, bishop (Hist); St. Notburga, virgin (Hist)

This feast was observed in Rome before the end of the seventh century. It commemorates the recovery of the Holy Cross, which had been placed on Mt. Calvary by St. Helena and preserved in Jerusalem, but then had fallen into the hands of Chosroas, King of the Persians. The precious relic was recovered and returned to Jerusalem by Emperor Heralius in 629.

The lessons from the Breviary tell us that Emperor Heraclius carried the Cross back to Jerusalem on his shoulders. He was clothed with costly garments and with ornaments of precious stones. But at the entrance to Mt. Calvary a strange incident occurred. Try as hard as he would, he could not go forward. Zacharias, the Bishop of Jerusalem, then said to the astonished monarch: "Consider, O Emperor, that with these triumphal ornaments you are far from resembling Jesus carrying His Cross." The Emperor then put on a penitential garb and continued the journey.

Historically today is also the feast of St. Notburga, a peasant who lived in the Tyrol, Austria and St. Maternus, Bishop of Cologne.

Triumph of the Cross
This day is also called the Exaltation of the Cross, Elevation of the Cross, Holy Cross Day, Holy Rood Day, or Roodmas. The liturgy of the Cross is a triumphant liturgy. When Moses lifted up the bronze serpent over the people, it was a foreshadowing of the salvation through Jesus when He was lifted up on the Cross. Our Mother Church sings of the triumph of the Cross, the instrument of our redemption. To follow Christ we must take up His cross, follow Him and become obedient until death, even if it means death on the cross. We identify with Christ on the Cross and become co-redeemers, sharing in His cross.

We made the Sign of the Cross before prayer which helps to fix our minds and hearts to God. After prayer we make the Sign of the Cross to keep close to God. During trials and temptations our strength and protection is the Sign of the Cross. At Baptism we are sealed with the Sign of the Cross, signifying the fullness of redemption and that we belong to Christ. Let us look to the cross frequently, and realize that when we make the Sign of the Cross we give our entire self to God — mind, soul, heart, body, will, thoughts.

O cross, you are the glorious sign of victory.
Through your power may we share in the triumph of Christ Jesus.

Symbol: The cross of triumph is usually pictured as a globe with the cross on top, symbolic of the triumph of our Savior over the sin of the world, and world conquest of His Gospel through the means of a grace (cross and orb).

The Wednesday, Friday and Saturday following September 14 marks one of the Ember Days of the Church. See Ember Days for more information.

Things to Do:

Study different symbols and types of crosses, history and/or significance. Then have an art project — creating own crosses, using different media, including paper. See variations of crosses for some ideas.
Learn and pray the prayer to Christ Crucified; pray the Stations of the Cross. Point out particularly the phrase repeated at each station:
We adore You, O Christ, and praise You,
Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.
Study the history of St. Helena and Constantine, especially St. Helena’s quest for finding the relics of Jesus.
Make sure that crucifixes are displayed prominently throughout your home. Point out the crucifix in every room even to the smallest ones. Your child's first word may be "Jesus"!
Explain the meaning of the Sign of the Cross to your children and be sure that even the little ones are taught how to make it.
Encourage your children to make reparation for sin; read about sacramentals.
Teach your children a short ejaculatory prayer such as "Through the sign of the Cross deliver us from our enemies, O our God!".
Make a dessert in the form of a cross, or decorated with a cross. Although usually made on Good Friday, Hot Cross Buns would be appropriate for this day. Make a cross cake, either using a cross form cake pan, or bake a sheet cake (recipe of choice). Once cool, cut the cake in half, length ways. Then cut one of these sections in half width ways. This makes three sections - one long and two short. Lay the long section onto a serving plate. Set the two small sections next to the long section forming a cross. Frost and decorate as desired.
Tradition holds that sweet basil grew over the hill where St. Helena found the Holy Cross, so in Greece the faithful are given sprigs of basil by the priest. Cook a basil pesto, tomato basil salad (with the last of the summer tomatoes) or some other type of recipe that includes basil, and explain to the family.
More Ideas: Women for Faith and Family and Catholic Encyclopedia.
Folklore has that the weather on the Ember Days of this month (September 15, 17, and 18) will foretell the weather for three successive months. So Wednesday, September 15, will forecast the weather for October; Friday, September 17, for November; and Saturday, September 18, for December.

St. Notburga
St. Zita of Lucca, Italy, is the best-known patron of domestic servants. A less-known contemporary of Zita's was St. Notburga of Austria, who is venerated in the Austrian Tyrol, Bavaria, Istria, Croatia and Slovenia. Many a church in these lands bears her name.

Notburga was born at Rattenberg-on-the-Inn, a town in the Austrian Tyrol not far to the east of Innsbruck. At the age of 18, this devout young woman of peasant stock entered the employment of Count Henry of Rattenberg as a member of his kitchen staff.

Notburga was always very solicitous of the poor. She cut down on her own food, especially on Friday, so as to be able to give something to those who knocked on the kitchen door. Discovering that the staff were used to discarding the abundant food left over from the Count's table, she also began to hand this out, too. Count Henry's mother was apparently unopposed to the charitable practice. But after the mother's death Henry's wife, Countess Ottilia, ordered that all leftovers be fed to the pigs. Dismayed, Notburga obeyed for a time, but then renewed her former policy. Unfortunately, the bossy Ottilia caught her red-handed one day and saw to it that she was fired.

The young woman then found employment with a farmer at nearby Eben. Her new job involved fieldwork. A charming legend connecting her with harvesting has become a popular tale among the children of Tyrol. Notburga made a practice of going to church for Sunday's first vespers, and her employer had agreed not to interfere. One Saturday, however, when she was engaged in reaping, the vesper bell rang, indicating that Sunday had officially begun. The saint was getting ready to leave for church when the farmer ordered her to continue cutting the grain. She refused. With first vespers it was already Sunday, she said, and Christians do not work on Sunday. "But the weather might change and the crop be lost," he insisted. "All right," said the servant, "Let this sickle decide between us." Thereupon she threw the shiny crescent-shaped tool up into the air, and there it hung like a new moon! The farmer yielded, and she went off to church.

Meanwhile, Count Henry was in a dejected state of mind. Bossy Ottilia had died and he had been suffering all sorts of misfortunes, which he was inclined to blame on his dismissal of Notburga. When he remarried, therefore, he asked her to return to his castle as housekeeper. She did so, and lived the rest of her life happily and holily in his employ.

When Notburga was dying, it is said, she urged him to continue taking care of the poor. Furthermore, she instructed him to place her corpse on a wagon drawn by two oxen, and to bury her wherever the oxen might stop in their tracks. Henry complied. The oxen stopped right in front of the chapel of St. Rupert at Eben, so there she was laid to rest.

Although long venerated in the western and Adriatic parts of the Austrian Empire, Notburga was never officially canonized. In March 1862, however, Pope Pius IX formally confirmed her ancient cult and her saintly title.

When St. Notburga is represented in paintings or sculptures, it is often with a sickle, either in her hand or hanging in the sky like a new moon.

— Excerpted from Saints Alive and All God's Children, Father Robert F. McNamara

Patron: Servants and peasants.

St. Maternus
First known bishop of Cologne, in modern Germany. He was involved in the effort against the Donatist heretics and was asked by Emperor Constantine to hear charges against the Donatists in 313.

In a legend defended by St. Peter Canisius, Maternus is labeled a disciple of St. Peter and the son of the widow of Naim, resurrected to serve the faith once more. Maternus died at Trier, Germany, where it is believed he also served as a bishop at one time.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: John 3:13-17

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross

God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world. (John 3:17)

We see it displayed on hand-lettered signs at sporting events and blazoned across the fronts of t-shirts—John 3:16. “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.” This is your God! He is good, merciful, and forgiving. He is abounding in love to everyone who calls on him. He longs to have a relationship of love with you.

Believe it! God does not sit on high tallying up your sins. He has no interest in condemning you for them. Quite the opposite, in fact. He loves to forgive. Your very existence delights him—always. He loves you in spite of everything you think is bad about yourself. Yes, he knows it all, even more than you do, and he loves you anyway. Although there is plenty about each of us that deserves condemnation, we all get mercy and grace instead. Jesus says the same thing every time we come to him: “I do not condemn you. Go, and sin no more.”

I do not condemn you. We are tempted to reply: “Well, you should,” and follow up with a catalog of reasons why. But the truth is that “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). He suffered and endured the cross and died for you before you even repented for a single thing. Before you ever accepted his forgiveness and redemption—before you were even born—he pardoned all your guilt. Now through repentance, confession, and a willingness to receive his mercy, you can step into a whole new experience of freedom.

Brothers and sisters, the cross of Christ is the visible image of God’s desire not to condemn the world. Every time you look at the cross, tell yourself: “I am not condemned.” Every time a tide of guilt swells up in you, every time lying thoughts echo condemnation and criticism through your mind, picture the cross and proclaim the truth: “God did not send his Son to condemn the world—or me!”

“Father, thank you for sending your Son into the world! Help me to believe that I am not condemned. Help me to accept your love today.”

Numbers 21:4-9; Psalm 78:1-2, 34-38; Philippians 2:6-11

A Christian Pilgrim

THE CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST STILL HAS POWER FOR US TODAY

(A biblical refection on the feast of THE TRIUMPH OF THE CROSS – 14 September 2012)

First Reading: Philippians 2:6-11

Alternative First Reading: Num 21:4-9; Psalms: Ps 78:1-2,34-38; Gospel Reading: Jn 3:13-17

The Scripture Text

Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, 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. (Phil 2:6-11 RSV)

On this feast of the Triumph of the Cross, let us rejoice over the work of the cross and enter confidently into it. The Cross of Jesus Christ still has power for us today, and God intends the Cross to bring life and help to us.

The work of the Cross is a bedrock truth upon which the Church and each person baptized into Christ stands. Jesus’ whole life was directed toward the Cross (Mk 8:31); His death on the Cross was part of God’s plans for His people (Acts 13:28-30). The Cross delivered us from sin (Rom 8:3) and reconciled us with God (Col 1:20). It re-established peace and is our source of life (Jn 3:14-15). It is eternal and universal in effect.

The wonder of the Cross is that it also extends to our daily lives. Just as the saints in heaven know the victory of the Cross (Rev 12:10-11), so too God wants the daily lives of the members of the Church to manifest the victory and power of the Cross. Because of the victory of Christ’s Cross, all creation is subject to Jesus’ authority: “At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, 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” (Phil 2:10-11).

The Church is firmly established in a glorious position of triumph over all the darkness which surrounds her because of the blood Christ shed for us on the Cross. We need to believe this truth and act in faith on it. Conflict in marriages, family breakdowns, indifference to Christ and His Church, substance abuse, pre- and extra-marital sex: All these are problems which Christian families have to face today. Together, the sum of these problems along with many others represent what seems to be an almost overwhelming darkness pressing in upon the Church.

Yet we should not tremble in the face of them. Instead, we should proclaim the truth: The blood of the Cross has conquered all evil! The real danger that faces the Church is that we no longer believe that the Cross has triumphed. But whether we acknowledge it or not, the truth stands: Christ through His Cross has conquered evil and we need to embrace the work of the Cross in faith.

Short Prayer: We adore You, Lord Jesus Christ, here and in all Your churches in the whole world, and we bless You, because by Your holy Cross You have redeemed the world. Amen.

Marriage = One Man and One Woman

Til' Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for September 14, 2012:

(Reader’s Tip) Are your grown children starting to think about marriage? Pray that God will lead them to the right person. Encourage them to pray, too.

Vultus Christi

The Son of Man must be lifted up

By

Father Mark

on September 14, 2012 7:36 AM |

The Sign of the Brazen Serpent

Wherefore the Lord sent among the people fiery serpents, which bit them and killed many of them. Upon which they came to Moses, and said: We have sinned, because we have spoken against the Lord and thee: pray that he may take away these serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to him: Make brazen serpent, and set it up for a sign: whosoever being struck shall look on it, shall live. Moses therefore made a brazen serpent, and set it up for a sign: which when they that were bitten looked upon, they were healed. (Numbers 21:6-9)

The Word of the Cross

For the word of the cross, to them indeed that perish, is foolishness; but to them that are saved, that is, to us, it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18)

I Will Draw All Things to Myself

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 answered him: We have heard out of the law, that Christ abideth for ever; and how sayest thou: The Son of man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of man? Jesus therefore said to them: Yet a little while, the light is among you. Walk whilst you have the light, that the darkness overtake you not. And he that walketh in darkness, knoweth not whither he goeth. Whilst you have the light, believe in the light, that you may be the children of light. (John 12:31-36)

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the mystery of the Cross at the heart of the Church. It is the efficacious enactment of what Saint Paul calls the verbum Crucis, the word/event of the Cross. The unbloody Sacrifice of the Mass, offered from the rising of the sun to its setting, and that bloody Sacrifice offered once upon the Cross are one and the same sacrifice. In Mediator Dei, the Venerable Pope Pius XII, referring to Session 22 of the Council of Trent, affirms that,

The august sacrifice of the altar, then, is no mere empty commemoration of the passion and death of Jesus Christ, but a true and proper act of sacrifice, whereby the High Priest by an unbloody immolation offers Himself a most acceptable victim to the Eternal Father, as He did upon the cross. "It is one and the same victim; the same person now offers it by the ministry of His priests, who then offered Himself on the cross, the manner of offering alone being different."

Behold the Lamb of God

Once the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice is ended, the adorable Body of Christ, the saving flesh of the Lamb, the pure victim, the holy victim, the immaculate victim, is reserved in the tabernacle for the Holy Communion of those close to death, of the sick, of prisoners, and of the homebound. The Lamb of God, being truly present in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, remains, at every hour of the day and night, worthy of adoration, praise, love, and thanksgiving.

Christus Passus

I shall never forget the passionate conviction with which my old professor, Father Thomas Urban Mullaney O.P. taught the mystery of Christus passus in his course on the Most Holy Eucharist. It is something that marked me profoundly thirty-five years ago, and that continues to affect my life and shape my piety. Jesus Christ in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar remains in the very state and dispositions that animated Him in the supreme hour of His Sacrifice on the Cross. The Most Holy Eucharist is the presence of Christus passus, that is, Christ in the very act of His self-offering to the Father.

The Mystic Reality of Every Mass

The exaltation of the Holy Cross is not only the lifting up of the saving wood soaked in the Most Precious Blood; it is also the lifting up of the Lamb immolated upon it as upon an altar. This is the mystic reality of every Holy Mass. That same mystic reality is prolonged in the adoration of the Lamb, living and present in the Most Holy Sacrament.

Set It Up for a Sign

When the adorable Body of Christ is withdrawn from the tabernacle and exposed to the gaze of the faithful in the monstrance, the word of the Lord to Moses is wondrously and perfectly fulfilled: "And the Lord said to him: Make brazen serpent, and set it up for a sign: whosoever being struck shall look on it, shall live. Moses therefore made a brazen serpent, and set it up for a sign: which when they that were bitten looked upon, they were healed." (Numbers 21:6-9)

Look Upon the Body of Christ

Look, then, upon the Body of Christ, and see the sign of the brazen serpent fulfilled and surpassed in a manner that only faith can grasp. Look upon the Body of Christ, and see the source of all healing, the remedy for souls poisoned by the bites of the fiery serpents of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Look upon the Body of Christ and be drawn into the pierced Heart of the Lamb.

I Will Draw All Men to Myself

For souls called to a life of Eucharistic adoration, the exaltation of the Holy Cross -- in the fullest meaning of the phrase -- is the reality of every day and of every hour. "Yes," says the Lord, "if only I am lifted up, I will draw all men to myself." (John 12:32)

Regnum Christi

God So Loves Me

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Father Patrick Butler, LC

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.

Introductory Prayer: Your word in the Gospel reveals to me the beauty of the mystery of the Cross. I open myself now to you with a believing heart. Your love for humanity is so present in what you say. You give me hope that the world can be changed by your message of love. I want to be more like you, a lover of the Father, a lover of my brothers and sisters to the point of giving my life for them.

Petition: Lord, exalt the cross in my mind and my heart, that I might see it as an instrument of love.

1. Jesus’ Identity: Nicodemus comes to Jesus to find out who this miracle worker is. Jesus tells him that he is the Son of Man and God’s Son. He has come down from heaven and will return there. Now that he has identified himself, he has gotten Nicodemus’ attention and mine. His answer to the first question does not satisfy us because it has brought up several other questions. How can he claim to be the Son of God when there is but one God? If he is truly God’s Son, why has he come down to earth? What does he want or expect from me?

2. A Savior Greater Than Moses: Moses had, at God’s command, led Israel out of slavery in Egypt. When the people rebelled in the desert, they were punished by fiery serpents that bit them with poisonous venom. Moses intervened on their behalf, making a bronze image of a serpent, placed on a post; those who looked at it were saved. Jesus saves humanity from its rebellion, not by a symbol raised on a stick, but by sacrificing himself as he was raised on a cross. He saves me not from temporal death, but from eternal death. He is indeed a Savior greater than Moses.

3. The Degree of God’s Love: How much does the Father love me? If we could measure love on a thermometer, God’s infinite love would send the mercury out the end. His love is boundless. What would he withhold from me if he has already given his son to save me? My sentiments upon contemplating the immensity of God’s love for me should be gratitude, praise and a reciprocating love towards him.

Conversation with Christ: Lord, I am moved when I discover how much you love me. You came down from heaven, becoming the Son of Man so that I could know, love and imitate you. You loved me to the extreme of offering yourself up on the cross to save me from sin and death. I want to love you in return to the point of giving my life for you.

Resolution: I will contemplate the cross as a symbol of love, making it a symbol that says something to me whenever I see it. I will try to bear my cross today with love.

Lift High the Cross!

Faith
September 14th, 2012
Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D.

Terrorism is nothing new. It’s probably as old as the human race.

In fact the cradle of civilization, now Iraq, was the home of the most infamous terrorists of antiquity, the Assyrians. Their goal was to conquer their neighbors in a way that would minimize initial resistance and subsequent rebellion. To do this, they knew fear would be their greatest weapon. Simple threat of death for those who resisted was not enough because many would prefer death to slavery. So the Assyrians developed the technology to produce the maximum amount of pain for the longest amount of time prior to death. It was called crucifixion. This ingenious procedure proved to be very effective terror tactic indeed.

It was the policy of the Roman Empire to adopt from conquered peoples whatever appeared useful. They found crucifixion an excellent tool of intimidation. The humiliation of being stripped naked to die in a public spectacle was particularly loathsome to Jews for whom public nudity was an abomination. Incidentally, crucifixion was deemed so horrible that Roman law forbade that it be carried out on a Roman citizen, even a traitor. It was reserved only for slaves and conquered peoples.

Non-Christians have often asked a very good question–why do Christians adorn their churches, homes, and necks with a symbol of abasement, terror, and torture?

The feast of the Exaltation or Triumph of the Holy Cross (September 14^th) provides the answer.

St. Anselm (12^th century) explained it this way. Our first parent’s sin was all about pride, disobedience, and self-love. Deceived by the serpent, Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit in defiance of God because they wanted to exalt themselves as His equal. The results were catastrophic–loss of communion with God, each other, and the created universe. The history of the human race has been a story in which each one of us, weakened by the impact of this sin on our nature, have followed its pattern, proudly refusing to obey God and love our neighbor.

Anselm pointed out that sin constitutes an infinite offense against the goodness and honor of God. Having been created free and responsible, bound by the law of justice, our race is obliged to offer acts of love, humility and obedience to God powerful enough to cancel out the long legacy of disobedience and pride and restore our friendship with him.

The problem is, our wounded race could not begin to attempt such a task. So the Father sent His Eternal Word to become man and accomplish the task in our place, to substitute for us. For the immortal, infinite God to empty himself and unite himself to a limited, vulnerable human nature was already a feat of unimaginable love and humility. But for redemption to be complete, the hero would have to withstand the greatest fury that hell and fallen humanity could hurl against him–the cross.

Surely, after the crowds he had healed and fed cried “Crucify him!” and his own apostles fled, Jesus would realize it wasn’t worth it. Surely he would curse the ingrates and use his divine power to free himself as many suggested in their taunts. But no. His was love to the end, love to the max (John 13:1). His death was the clear and undeniable manifestation of the triumph of obedience over disobedience, love over selfishness, humility over pride.

Good Friday was the D-Day of the human race. Since Pentecost, the power of Christ’s obedient, humble, unstoppable love has been made available to all who are willing to share it, producing martyrs and saints in every generation, down to the Maximilian Kolbe’s and Mother Teresa’s of our own era.

So the cross is not only victorious, it is fruitful. It bore the fruit of salvation in the loving act of Christ but has kept bearing new fruit throughout the ages. That’s why, if you go to the Church of San Clemente in Rome, you’ll see one of the most stunning mosaics in the Eternal City–the ancient instrument of subjection and death, wrapped with verdant vines supporting fruit of every shape and size, the triumphant cross become the tree of life.

Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio writes from Texas.

The Cross: the Only Means of Salvation

Homily of the Day
September 14th, 2012
Food For Thought

Friday, September 14, 2012 by Food for Thought

FEAST OF THE TRIUMPH OF THE HOLY CROSS

FirstReading: Nm 21:4b-9
Psalm: Ps 78:1bc-2, 34-35, 36-37, 38
SecondReading: Phil 2:6-11
Gospel: Jn 3:13-17

Today, as we celebrate this feast of the Triumph of the Cross, Jesus reminds us that the very purpose for which he came into the world was to save the world. And there is only one means by which the world is going to be saved: that is, the Cross of Jesus Christ. The Cross stands as the center point of all world history. When we consider the Cross, Saint Paul reminds us that we are to glory in nothing but the Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ; that must be our boast.

St. Paultells us, “For the world, that is folly. It seems foolishness to the world. It is a stumbling block to the Jews and it is folly tothe Greeks. But for those who are being saved, the Cross is the wisdom and the power of God.” For us, who believe in Jesus, we look at that Cross. We consider what St. Paul tells us: “He was obedient even unto death, death on a cross.” It is that obedience of Jesus and his willingness to go to the Cross for us that we celebrate in a particular way. What looks like the most humiliating thing and the most foolish thing is, in fact, the most glorious thing in human history. As St. Paul says, “God’s folly is wiser than human wisdom.”

For us who believe, we need to be able to say that we, too, with Jesus, are willing to take up the Cross; that we are willing to be hung on that Cross with him, to suffer with him in order to be raised with him. So, for us, the Cross truly is the wisdom of God. And for those who are saved, they understand that the Cross is the power of God because it is only by the wounds of Jesus, inflicted on the Cross, that we have salvation. It truly is the wisdom and the power of God atwork in those who believe and the only means of salvation. So for us, with St. Paul, then, the Cross is not a point of shame, but it is a point of joy, a means of glory and of hope, because it is the only means of salvation.

One Bread, One Body

<< Friday, September 14, 2012 >>

Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Numbers 21:4-9
Philippians 2:6-11
View Readings

Psalm 78:1-2, 34-38
John 3:13-17

SHARING THE TRIUMPH OF YOUR CROSS

"So must the Son of Man be lifted up, that all who believe may have eternal life in Him." —John 3:14-15

A mother of a severely brain-damaged child radiates the love of God to all she meets. Several couples with many children continue to accept more children with open arms and smiling faces. Two couples with drug-addicted adult children continue to persevere with trust in Jesus even though the object of their hope is yet unseen (Rm 8:24). These Christians are in prime position to be asked: "How do you bear it? What keeps you going every day?" Scripture tells all with a cross to bear: "Should anyone ask you the reason for this hope of yours, be ever ready to reply" (1 Pt 3:15).

What does the world see when you bear your daily cross? Do they see a suffering person with little hope that God will assist them, complaining publicly about how heavy a cross with which God has burdened them, giving the impression that God has forgotten about their pain? If that describes you, you won't get many questions about your hope in Jesus — at least not from unbelievers. The questions you'll get will more likely come from fellow Christians wondering what happened to your joy.

What does the world see when you bear your daily cross? Does the world see you walking to Calvary unafraid and uncomplaining, with a grateful heart, suffering yet trusting in God's mercy? When the world sees you bearing your cross like this, it wonders why. It wants to know your secret. "Should anyone ask you the reason for this hope of yours, be ever ready to reply" (1 Pt 3:15).

Embrace the cross the Lord has given you. Let Jesus give you the triumph of His cross in your life.

Prayer: Jesus, I will follow You to Calvary and through Calvary.

Promise: "He humbled Himself, obediently accepting even death, death on a cross!" —Phil 2:8

Praise: "Hail, O cross, our only hope" (see Catechism, 617).

September 14, 2012

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Reading 1 Nm 21:4b-9

Responsorial Psalm Ps 78:1bc-2, 34-35, 36-37, 38

Reading 2 Phil 2:6-11

Gospel Jn 3:13-17

Suggestions for family activities

Triumph of the Cross

Daily Readings for: September 14, 2012
(Readings on USCCB website)

RECIPES

ACTIVITIES

PRAYERS

Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Meditation: John 3:13-17

The Son of Man must be lifted up

Lift High the Cross!

The Cross: the Only Means of Salvation

One Bread, One Body

SHARING THE TRIUMPH OF YOUR CROSS

September 14, 2012

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Reading 1 Nm 21:4b-9

Responsorial Psalm Ps 78:1bc-2, 34-35, 36-37, 38

Reading 2 Phil 2:6-11

Gospel Jn 3:13-17

Suggestions for family activities

Triumph of the Cross

Daily Readings for: September 14, 2012(Readings on USCCB website)

RECIPES

ACTIVITIES

PRAYERS

Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Meditation: John 3:13-17

The Son of Man must be lifted up

Lift High the Cross!

The Cross: the Only Means of Salvation

One Bread, One Body

SHARING THE TRIUMPH OF YOUR CROSS

Daily Readings for: September 14, 2012
(Readings on USCCB website)