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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
FEAST OF THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS

What makes the cross holy?

We owe the finding of the “true cross” upon which Jesus was crucified—and today’s feast—to Helen, the mother of the Emperor Constantine. While visiting Jerusalem, Helen ordered the destruction of the Temple of Aphrodite, which was rumored to have been built upon the site of Jesus’ tomb. During the subsequent clearing and excavation, three crosses were discovered. In order to determine which was the true cross of Christ, Helen was inspired to bring them to the bed of a dying woman. She was healed by touching one of the crosses. The sacrifice of God’s only Son remains a mystery 2,000 years after the fact. Let our prayer today be for a deeper understanding of the meaning of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection.

TODAY’S READINGS: Numbers 21:4b-9; Philippians 2:6-11; John 3:13-17

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him . . . may have eternal life.”


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