Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Feast Day: September 14

History & Significance
The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross commemorates the discovery of the True Cross by St. Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine, around the year 320. The feast also marks the dedication of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem in 335, built on the site of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection.

For Christians, the Cross is not a symbol of defeat but of victory. Through His death on the Cross, Jesus triumphed over sin and death, opening the way to eternal life. On this feast, the Church invites us to lift high the Cross with faith, recognizing it as the sign of God’s love, mercy, and redemption.

The Cross, once an instrument of suffering, has become for us the Tree of Life. We are called to embrace our own crosses with trust, uniting them to Christ’s sacrifice for the salvation of the world.

Prayer

O God, who willed that your Son should suffer death on the Cross for our salvation,
grant that we may glory in the Cross of Christ,
and find strength in its power and consolation in its promise.
Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.