John 3:13-17
Today we celebrate the feast of the Triumph of the Holy Cross. The history of this feast goes back to the 3rd century when Helena, the saintly mother of Emperor Constantine, organized a great mission team to locate the cross of Christ in Jerusalem. The group excavated the surroundings of the place called calvary where they found three crosses. In order to know which of the three crosses was the cross of the Savior, they brought the crosses one at a time to a very sick woman. From two of the three crosses, nothing happened. But when the 3rd cross was brought in, the woman immediately got well. Moreover, they carried the 3rd cross to a dead man, and when they did, the man was revived. Witnessing these miracles, Empress Helena, Patriarch Macarius and all the people with them celebrated with joy and started to venerate the Holy Cross.
Saint Helena ordered the construction of a beautiful church in Jerusalem to house the Holy Cross, which came to be known as the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. They consecrated the church on September 13, 335; the next day was officially assigned as the feast day of the Triumph of the Cross of Christ.
The feast of the Holy Cross is meaningful for at least three reasons: First, it reminds us of what our Lord Jesus did for us in calvary. He gave his life as a ransom for humanity. He took the penalty that was supposedly for us. Through the cross, we come to understand the greatness of God's love – one that is unparalleled and eternal. Second, the feast reminds us of our common vocation, that is “to deny oneself, carry the cross daily and follow Him.” For the unbeliever, the cross has to be avoided because it means trials, difficulties, failures and defeats. But for us Christians, the cross must be accepted and carried so as to give love and life to others. And finally, the feast provides us with a special opportunity to proclaim to the whole world the salvific value of the Cross of Christ in our life. With full confidence we reecho the words of the gospel: “For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.”
