Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Feast Day: September 14
In the Roman Empire, the cross was the worst way to die.
It was reserved for slaves, rebels, and criminals.
It was so shameful that polite Romans did not even like to talk about it.
And yet Christians celebrate it.
They wear it.
They put it on top of their churches.
They give it its own feast day.
On September 14, the Church does not mourn the Cross.
It exalts it.
From Shame to Glory
St. Paul knew how strange this sounded:
“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
And he wrote:
“But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ;”
— Galatians 6:14
The Cross was where Jesus died.
But it was also where He defeated sin and death.
What looked like the ultimate defeat became the ultimate victory.
The Bronze Serpent
Long before Jesus, God gave His people a strange sign in the desert.
When poisonous serpents bit the Israelites, God told Moses:
“Make a brazen serpent, and set it up for a sign: whosoever being struck shall look on it, shall live.”
— Numbers 21:8
Jesus said this pointed to Him:
“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of man be lifted up” (John 3:14).
Those who looked on the serpent were healed.
Those who look to Christ crucified are saved.
St. Helena Finds the Cross
According to ancient tradition, St. Helena, the mother of the Emperor Constantine, traveled to Jerusalem around A.D. 326.
She searched for the place of Jesus’ death and burial, and the wood of the True Cross was discovered there.
Constantine built the Church of the Holy Sepulchre over the site.
It was dedicated on September 13, A.D. 335.
On the next day, September 14, the Cross was lifted up for the people to venerate.
That is where this feast began.
Lost and Recovered
In A.D. 614, the Persians captured Jerusalem and carried off the relic of the Cross.
The Emperor Heraclius defeated them and brought it back to Jerusalem around A.D. 630.
Christians celebrated its return with great joy, which gave the feast even more meaning.
A Weapon Against Evil
St. John Chrysostom, the great preacher of the 300s, said:
“The Cross is a trophy against demons, a sword against sin, and the sword Christ used to pierce the serpent.”
— St. John Chrysostom
The serpent in the Garden brought death.
The Cross crushed its power.
(See Why Catholics Use Crucifixes.)
What This Feast Teaches Us
The Exaltation of the Holy Cross teaches us that suffering united to Christ is never wasted.
Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24).
Our crosses look different: illness, loss, loneliness, temptation.
But Christ turns the cross into a way of love, and love into victory.
When Is the Feast?
The Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 14.
When it falls on a Sunday, it replaces the Sunday readings, because it is a feast of the Lord.
Prayer for the Feast of the Holy Cross
Lord Jesus Christ,
by Your holy Cross You have redeemed the world.
Teach us to see Your Cross not as defeat, but as the victory of love.
Help us carry our own crosses with faith,
and when we suffer, let us look to You and live.
We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You, because by Your holy Cross You have redeemed the world. Amen.
