Today the Church lifts high that which the world once cast down.
Today the Tree of shame is revealed as the Tree of Life.
Today the Cross is exalted, and with it all creation is raised from corruption.
“Come, let us worship at the place where His feet stood,” cries the psalmist, and the Church responds by lifting before our eyes the precious and life-giving Cross. Once hidden in the earth, buried beneath the rubble of forgetfulness, it now shines forth like the sun at noon, scattering the darkness of death and despair. For this wood, watered by the blood of the Lamb, has become the scepter of the Kingdom.
In former times, the Cross was an instrument of terror, a sign of Roman power and human cruelty. But Christ, the King of Glory, ascended it willingly, transforming the weapon of death into the banner of victory. By stretching out His hands upon the wood, He embraced the whole world—reconciling heaven and earth, Jew and Gentile, sinner and saint. The Cross stands at the center of history, where divine humility overturns human pride.
Behold the paradox proclaimed today:
Life is born from death.
Strength is revealed in weakness.
Glory shines forth from suffering.
The Cross is exalted not because it is adorned with gold or jewels, but because upon it hung the One who is Life Himself. From it flowed blood and water—the fountain of the Church, the cleansing of the nations, the healing of Adam’s wound. Through the Cross, the curse is undone, the gates of Hades are shattered, and the way to Paradise is reopened.
Beloved in Christ, the exaltation of the Cross is not only a feast to behold, but a mystery to enter. For the Lord Himself declares: “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.” The Cross we venerate today must also be inscribed upon our lives—upon our choices, our struggles, our love. It teaches us that true exaltation comes through humility, and true victory through self-giving.
As we bow before the Cross, we are not worshiping wood, but the Crucified and Risen Lord. We bow before love made visible, obedience made perfect, mercy stretched out to the ends of the earth. The Cross stands as our protection, our hope, and our boast. It guards the faithful, scatters the demons, and sanctifies those who embrace it in faith.
Therefore, let us exalt the Cross—not only with our lips, but with lives conformed to its shape. Let us crucify our passions, forgive as we have been forgiven, and love as we have been loved. And as the Cross is lifted high in the midst of the Church today, may our hearts also be lifted—from earth to heaven, from fear to faith, from death to life.
Rejoice, O life-giving Cross, invincible weapon of peace!
Rejoice, O glory of the Church and salvation of the world!
Through you, O Cross, joy has come to all creation.
To Christ our God, who was crucified for our sake and is glorified forever, be honor and worship, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
