Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Sept. 14, 2011
Fr. Anthony Brankin
Gospel: John 3:13-17 “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son”
Summary: (Children’s Mass) Children, did you know how they found the true cross upon which Jesus died? After the crucifixion, the cross was buried — Christians were ashamed of it. Three hundred years later the queen wanted to find it. She went with her soldiers to Jerusalem, to the hill where Jesus died. They dug and found three crosses. But they didn’t know which one was for Jesus.
They figured that a miracle would reveal the true cross. So they found a man who was very sick, brought him over, and touched each cross to him to see what would happen. They lowered the first cross and touched him, and nothing happened. They tried the second and nothing happened. Then when they brought the third one, the man was completely healed.
They wanted another miracle, so they found a dead man, and he was brought back to life as well. This was the cross upon which hung the savior of the world. Why do we say that the cross was exalted? Because with our faith, the lowest is brought to the highest.
There are relics of the true cross all over the world. We have one at our parish, because someone left it here in a basket on the side altar as a gift. We could tell it was an authentic relic.