Philip Raj A. csc
Readings: Num 21: 4-9; Phil 2: 6-11; Jn 3: 13-17
On this Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, we reflect on the cross’s vital role in our salvation.
In the first reading from Numbers, the Israelites, disheartened and doubting God’s providence, faced consequences for their sin through poisonous serpents. God provided a remedy: healing came to those who looked at the bronze serpent lifted by Moses.
The Gospel reading connects this event to Jesus’ mission. Just as the bronze serpent was raised for healing, Jesus must be lifted up on the cross to bring salvation. Fulfilling the prophecies Jesus saved his people from their sins by dying on the cross. The cross, once a symbol of death, is now the source of ultimate victory and healing.
Today, we honour the cross, celebrating its transformation from a symbol of humiliation to a sign of salvation. This feast also marks the recovery of the Holy Cross relics by Emperor Heraclius on May 3, 629. Let us embrace the cross as the sign of our redemption and find strength in Jesus’ sacrifice to overcome sin and adversity.