THE TRIUMPH OF THE CROSS

Homily for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross

Fr. Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch

Bible Readings: Numbers 21:4-9; Philippians 2:6-11; John 3:13-17

A little child once saw a huge crucifix hanging in his parish Church and asked his mother, “Why do we keep such a sad picture of Jesus suffering?” The mother replied: “Because when we look at the Cross, we do not only see suffering; we see how much Jesus loves us.” This simple answer contains the mystery of today’s feast: we exalt the Cross not because of the pain it once carried, but because of the salvation it brought.

Usually, when we hear the word cross, many images come to mind - burden, suffering, hardship, or even punishment. In Roman times, the cross was the most shameful and brutal instrument of execution, reserved for slaves and criminals. It was meant not only to kill but to humiliate, to strip away every dignity of the condemned. The cross stood for defeat, weakness, and despair. Why then, do we Christians exalt the cross today? Why celebrate something that in itself symbolized shame? The answer lies in what God accomplished through it.

The first reading from Numbers 21:4-9 gives us the background. In the desert, Israel complained against God, and fiery serpents struck them. The people cried out, and God told Moses to lift up a bronze serpent so that whoever looked at it would live. That serpent had no power in itself; it was a sign pointing to God’s mercy. Jesus, in today’s Gospel, explains that this prefigured His own crucifixion: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life.” The Cross, then, is exalted because it is the new “bronze serpent” - the sign that heals us from the venom of sin and restores us to life.

The second reading, Philippians 2:6-11, takes us deeper into the theology of the Cross. Paul sings the hymn of Christ’s humility: though He was in the form of God, He emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, obedient even unto death on a cross. The paradox of the Cross is revealed here. What looked like humiliation was in fact the highest obedience, and what looked like defeat was the path to glory. “Therefore, God highly exalted Him.” The exaltation of the Cross is the exaltation of Christ Himself, whose obedience and love transformed the symbol of shame into the throne of victory.

To exalt the Cross is not simply to honor an object; it is to proclaim what it represents. The Cross reveals God’s justice, for sin is not ignored but paid for by Christ’s sacrifice. It reveals God’s love, for “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son” (Jn 3:16). It reveals God’s power, for from death came life, from the instrument of cruelty came the sign of eternal salvation.

And so, we celebrate this feast to remind ourselves that the Cross is not only Christ’s, it is also ours. He invites us, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Lk 9:23). To exalt the Cross means to embrace our own crosses - illness, sufferings, delays, sacrifices, daily struggles - and unite them with His. In doing so, we too discover that our crosses are not dead ends, but pathways to glory. Our crosses when embraced with faith, can be transformed into life and blessing.

Dear friend, today we do not celebrate suffering for its own sake; we celebrate love that conquers suffering. The Cross is not the end, but the passage to glory. It is not a curse, but a blessing. Let us, then, look upon the Cross not with fear like that little child but with faith and awe. For in the Cross we see the true face of God: love that suffers, love that saves, love that triumphs. Truly, we adore You, O Christ, and we bless You, because by Your holy Cross You have redeemed the world. Amen.