Exaltation of the Holy Cross

This weekend was a great Mass of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. What caught my attention in my parish was the Cross in the Church, of Jesus Christ hanging and below his feet was a red cloth draped down to the floor. Also, the priest wore a red vestment, and the deacon and altar servers had red on them, too. Also, I noticed some of the parishioners wore red too, and there was this young lady who wore a veil on her head. I didn’t wear red, but when I came in, I could sense the spiritual presence and the smell of the incense.

When attending Mass and when the people processed inside, the first thing I saw was the Cross, and then it was placed on a stand. To me, the Cross is not just a photo, a religious gift, in books, sold in religious stores, or something to be hung on a wall in a house. I would say this, because of my pride and ego. I have learned that I need to put them aside, and move forward, to have the Lord help me to remember my place is in His hands and not mine.

These were the readings during our celebration.

Numbers 21:4-9
4 They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea,[a] to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; 5 they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”
6 Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
8 The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived. 

Philippians 2:6-11
6 Who, being in very nature[a] God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature[b] of a servant, being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

John 3:13-17
13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.[a] 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,[b] 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”[c]
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

During the homily, the deacon shared the history of Jesus and the Cross. While he was talking, I said in my mind, this would be a great topic to write about, though this could be a challenge to write. The two words that the deacon used to describe the Cross was concrete and solid (or stable, steady, or balanced). For some reason, I got a chill and something inside made me think about the Cross.

I remember celebrating Good Friday at my Church, and the parishioners would go up to the Cross and kiss it, and afterwards kneel. I felt at ease and peace with myself, because I focused on the Cross. My opinion is that God is the highest power and Spirit in the world, and Jesus is God the Son, yet he obediently followed the Will of the Father. This is a reminder to me, that when I see a Cross, I need to follow instead of going my own route or way. This new path may be a surprise to me, I just have to let go and let God do the work and listen to Him.

The Mass was great, and after leaving Church, I felt healthier and more blessed.