Catholic Paradox – Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross
As we approach the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross on September 14, both the Cross and the word “Exultation” inspire breathtaking holy awe for the day—and all that it represents. This year, though, an unexpected thought yielded a small “holy chuckle of awe” in me. “Oh, how our Lord embraces paradox!”
The most frightening (and horrifying) image is the source of our greatest joy and our access to heaven. Fear prompted my childhood preference for the Protestant cross and a cherished small infant Child Jesus over our Catholic crucifixes.
As a teen I craved the hope promised by the image of the Risen Christ, until one day I recognized the gift of God’s love which emanated from his Crucifix. The Cross isn’t a visible reprimand for my every misstep, heaping more sins upon His broken Body. It’s proof of His words, “Believe in my love! Never doubt it. This is done for you, my beloved children! All I do and say is for your eternal happiness!”
The Crucifix should make my heart leap with joy and gratitude for our loving Savior who fights for us through the very last moment! This joy is what moves my heart to avoid further sin, for His sake—from love and gratitude, not fear. Blessed with wonderful parents, I could believe more in that love than condemnation. As a parent now, I understand that love better. Frustration, even anger, and heart-piercing words do hurt, but they can’t kill our human love. And God is Love, the source of all love. The Cross is proof.
So as the Feast of the Exaltation of The Holy Cross approaches, holy awe replaces despair to overcome sin. Through mercy, the Cross transforms what kills our souls to greatness… if we’ll only look to Him for forgiveness and trust in His mercy. And know this—the trust doesn’t have to be perfect! Even an uncertain “Help me believe” opens the door enough for His ocean of mercy to start washing away the chains holding us to our past.
Serpent Cross?
This faith-changing revelation I had as a teen fell into my mind through a lesson on the prefiguring of the Cross and Crucifix in Numbers—a story from this feast day’s First Reading, Numbers 21:4b-9.
The Israelites were complaining about their lot, traipsing about the desert with always the same food (quail and bread that literally fell from the sky) and little water (but sufficient provided by God, even from a rock!). Sure, God defended them repeatedly against whole kingdoms that attacked, but still… “quail again?”
And so they groaned, longing for the slavery they knew in Egypt—ponder this deeply, sometime, regarding any sins to which we feel particularly attached…
God intended the Israelites to be a light to the nations proclaiming the One, True God, who loved more than He ruled and who gave more than He took. The Chosen People had to realize they fully relied on Him for everything before they could lead souls worldwide to desire Him, to one day enter heaven and for better societies on earth. But so many Israelites fixated on their own view of life! Sad to say, I’ve been there… too often!!
Rightfully frustrated by their “spoiled” (my perception) attitude, but more to bring them closer to His saving Self and plan, Scripture says God sent venomous serpents to bite the people. They cried out to Moses (not to God!), and he turned to God, who instructed Moses to fashion a serpent placed on a pole for the injured to look up at and be healed.
Christ’s Crucifix
Is it another paradox that neither the Psalm, Second Reading nor Gospel for this feast day highlight or exalt the Cross or the Crucifix? Instead, they recall God’s mercy and Jesus’ humility in becoming human, living a human life, obeying the Father, and dying on the Cross. For that, Jesus is exalted—the “point” of His life on earth was to redeem and save us. Period. It was not to separate the goats and sheep but to open the path for sinners to become a saints.
What a difference that makes in my faith worldview! What a breakthrough it was to see condemnation of sin as a loving act that does not condemn the sinner, but speaks a truth out of love to lead us away from what ultimately harms. The truth leads to our flourishing spiritually—which lifts us mentally, emotionally, and physically. Jesus stated clearly that we have to carry our crosses. Then, He lived the acceptance of His Cross, which now brings an exaltation, a great joy, such that the light in His followers attracted others.
This doesn’t trivialize trials that seem beyond comprehension! I’ve had my arguments with Him, asking “How could You let this happen?!” Peace amid devastation and despair came (slowly) through believing that God asks nothing of us—to do, endure, or not do—unless He will transform it into a greater good and one that will have personal benefit for us… with our cooperation. While we might not perceive any benefit, He promises that through our cooperation we, too, can be exalted—raised high to be with God—for eternity. Like the Israelites in the desert, God calls us to become lights revealing God’s love and His gift for eternity to all the nations.
Caveats: peace does not mean no sorrow, and God does not “commit” an evil for a greater good. And we don’t know why, only that he does, allow some evil acts, but only to the point that He can bring greater good from it (look up Alessandro Serenelli’s story). That’s a hard truth for those of us hurt by other’s intentional ill will or negligence. However, as I feel my child’s pain, how much more must our Father experience ours! Trust that He doesn’t permit our suffering lightly. But He does desire eternal happiness for us over our earthly condition.
Celebrating the Exaltation of the Cross
As Jesus’ earthly parent, Mary endured His sorrows alongside Him. It is no coincidence, then, that the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows is the day after the Exaltation of the Cross. Her example has buoyed me when I’ve struggled to trust God on behalf of my children in their serious trials. She was blessed to see Him resurrected, as I’ve been blessed to see good things come from our children’s trials. So, as I ponder this feast day’s return, my mind returns to paradoxes, and how our cooperation creates them!
Humiliated but obedient, Christ, born in a stable, became King of all Creation. In her own humility and obedience, His mother became Queen of Heaven and Earth. A symbol of contempt, failure, and suffering is now a symbol of infinite and divine triumph, love, and abiding joy. Perhaps most importantly for our souls, when we gaze on the Cross of Christ this feast day, we can tightly grasp the reality that through it, sinfulness transforms into sainthood. As St. Rose of Lima said, “Apart from the Cross there is no other ladder by which we may get to heaven..”
While listening to the Scripture during Mass and gazing on the Cross, we can notice how much transformation God has worked in us so far, then joyfully say, “Thank You!” He’s not leading us in aimless wanderings through the desert or life, so ask the Holy Spirit to reveal what “slavery” we yearn for and the means, even a cross, to set us free, and He will. My perfect Dad and my perfect Brother with the perfectly loving Spirit say they love me and you, and I trust in Them.
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