Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Numbers 21:4b-9, Philippians 2:6-11, John 3:13-17
There is a myth among the Tiv people of Benue State, in the Middle Belt region of Nigeria, about their deep respect for green snakes. According to the myth, during a war between the Tiv and a neighboring tribe, the Tiv people were being massacred. The survivors fled for safety, but as they reached a large river with no bridge to cross, they were trapped with their enemies closing in. In desperation, they cried out for help. Suddenly, green snakes emerged from the bush and intertwined themselves to form a living bridge across the river. The Tiv people crossed safely on the backs of these snakes, escaping their enemies. From that day, the Tiv people developed a deep respect for green snakes—they do not kill them and even mimic their movements in dance, always remembering how they were saved in war.
Similarly, we Christians, at a certain point in our salvation history, found ourselves trapped due to the fall of our first parents, Adam and Eve. We were separated from heaven, our true home. But Jesus Christ came and offered himself on the Cross of Calvary, bridging the gap between us and God. Today, the Catholics view the cross on which Christ died as Christians’ symbol of victory and accord it a special exaltation.
In the first reading, the symbol of survival for the Israelites was “the molded bronze serpent” (Numbers 21:9). In the Gospel, the symbol of eternal life and victory is the Cross of Jesus Christ: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:14-16).
As we celebrate and exalt the Cross, our symbol of victory, have we ever asked ourselves: Do we exalt the Cross merely with words, or are we inspired by the actions of the Lord who was crucified upon it? Are we proud to display the crucifix in our homes, and not ashamed to be associated with it in public?
May our lives always be lives of praise to Christ through whose cross we are made victorious.
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