Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Exaltation: the action of elevating someone in rank, power and character.
Jesus was exalted, and he is the character of a loving being whom we try to emulate. How do we emulate the Supreme Being? We love him to our core, we breathe his unconditional love, the same love a child has for their parents and people around them. Many scriptures remind us to be childlike. We lost that unconditional love we had when we were children; society changes us. We can become competitive or we can give up or we lose ourselves and become what society wants us to be. We then lose ourselves and we ask: who am I?
Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. The unconditional love we had as children is the foundation to our faith. We can go back to being childlike and believe in everyone, we don’t question their truth.
God’s love is shown by the sacrificial life of Jesus. As we come together in the church we see the cross before us, we gaze, we pray and we praise Jesus for the life he gave each and every one of us. He came not to condemn us but for our salvation. His love fills us and we walk on the pathway to salvation, we are forgiven. We return his love by showing his love and mercy to all people. We learn to pray for one another.
In today’s responsorial psalm, our response is: “Do not forget the works of the Lord”. We seek him earnestly in our everyday life. Where was Jesus today? Did I meet Jesus today? Take time to reflect on your day; when was my heart touched by someone, something from creation, a sign? God’s love is around us, we just have to be open to his promptings.
In the gospel of John (3:13-17), we hear: “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up.” For the Glory of God our actions should resound in our earthly walk, our pilgrimage.
Margaret Tish Manitowabi
