The Exalatation of the Holy Cross

09-14-2025Weekly ReflectionThe Faithful Disciple

Although God had freed our ancestors in faith from their slavery in Egypt, today we find them grumbling against the Lord as they wander in the desert. Even after we’ve glimpsed so much of God’s goodness, we, too, can begin to grumble in challenging moments of our lives. It’s precisely then that we need to cling to faith. After serpents appeared and began to bite those who had grumbled against God, those who had been bitten only had to look at the serpent mounted on a pole and put their faith in God once again to be healed.

Similarly, when we find ourselves in the trials of life, we need only look at the cross of Jesus with faith. “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.” Amid the storms of our lives, we are called to put our trust in his cross, for through it we are saved and set free.

Paul tells us that God the Father “greatly exalted” Jesus for his humility in embracing the cross, and that ultimately, all creation will join the Father in glorifying Christ. We who know the gift of what Jesus did for us on the cross are called to praise him with our voices and our lives. We praise and glorify Christ first through our example. How might our day-to-day interactions give others a glimpse of the humble and self-emptying love of Jesus? Finally, think of the ways that knowing Christ’s love has made a difference in your life. Has it made you more patient? Has it made you more hopeful? Think of ways that you could share this in conversation. Telling others about what God has done for you or the difference that he has made in your life is one way of exalting Christ.

Today, spend some time thanking and praising God for the gift of the cross and our salvation in Christ. You might wish to use this traditional prayer frequently used during the stations of the cross in Lent: “We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you. Because, by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.”