Cyril of Jerusalem (ca. AD 313 – AD 386) was a theologian of the early Church. About the end of AD 350 he succeeded Maximus as Bishop of Jerusalem, but was exiled on more than one occasion due to the enmity of Acacius of Caesarea, and the policies of various emperors. Cyril left important writings documenting the instruction of catechumens and the order of the Liturgy in his day.
Let us, then, not be ashamed of the Cross of our Saviour, but, rather, glory in it
3. Let us then not be ashamed of the Cross of our Saviour, but rather glory in it. For the word of the Cross is unto Jews a stumbling-block, and unto Gentiles foolishness, but to us salvation: and to them that are perishing it is foolishness, but unto us which are being saved it is the power of God. For it was not a mere man who died for us, as I said before, but the Son of God, God made man. Further; if the lamb under Moses drove the destroyer (Exodus 12:23) far away, did not much rather the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29), deliver us from our sins? The blood of a silly sheep gave salvation; and shall not the Blood of the Only-begotten much rather save? If any disbelieve the power of the Crucified, let him ask the devils; if any believe not words, let him believe what he sees. Many have been crucified throughout the world, but by none of these are the devils scared; but when they see even the Sign of the Cross of Christ, who was crucified for us, they shudder. For those men died for their own sins, but Christ for the sins of others; for He did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth. It is not Peter who says this, for then we might suspect that he was partial to his Teacher; but it is Esaias who says it, who was not indeed present with Him in the flesh, but in the Spirit foresaw His coming in the flesh. Yet why now bring the Prophet only as a witness? Take for a witness Pilate himself, who gave sentence upon Him, saying, I find no fault in this Man (Luke 23:14): and when he gave Him up, and had washed his hands, he said, I am innocent of the blood of this just person. (Matthew 27:24) There is yet another witness of the sinlessness of Jesus — the robber, the first man admitted into Paradise; who rebuked his fellow, and said, We receive the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing amiss; for we were present, both you and I, at His judgment.
4. Jesus then really suffered for all men; for the Cross was no illusion, otherwise our redemption is an illusion also. His death was not a mere show, for then is our salvation also fabulous. If His death was but a show, they were true who said, We remember that that deceiver said, while He was yet alive, After three days I rise again. (Matthew 27:63) His Passion then was real: for He was really crucified, and we are not ashamed thereat; He was crucified, and we deny it not, nay, I rather glory to speak of it. For though I should now deny it, here is Golgotha to confute me, near which we are now assembled; the wood of the Cross confutes me, which was afterwards distributed piecemeal from hence to all the world. I confess the Cross, because I know of the Resurrection; for if, after being crucified, He had remained as He was, I had not perchance confessed it, for I might have concealed both it and my Master; but now that the Resurrection has followed the Cross, I am not ashamed to declare it.
5. Being then in the flesh like others, He was crucified, but not for the like sins. For He was not led to death for covetousness, since He was a Teacher of poverty; nor was He condemned for concupiscence, for He Himself says plainly, Whosoever shall look upon a woman to lust after her, has committed adultery with her already (Matthew 5:28); not for smiting or striking hastily, for He turned the other cheek also to the smiter; not for despising the Law, for He was the fulfiller of the Law; not for reviling a prophet, for it was Himself who was proclaimed by the Prophets; not for defrauding any of their hire, for He ministered without reward and freely; not for sinning in words, or deeds, or thoughts, He who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth; who when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, threatened not (1 Peter 2:22-23); who came to His passion, not unwillingly, but willing; yea, if any dissuading Him say even now, Be it far from You, Lord, He will say again, Get behind Me, Satan (Matthew 16:22-23).
6. And would you be persuaded that He came to His passion willingly? Others, who foreknow it not, die unwillingly; but He spoke before of His passion: Behold, the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified. But do you know wherefore this Friend of man shunned not death? It was lest the whole world should perish in its sins. Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man shall be betrayed, and shall be crucified; and again, He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem. (Luke 9:5) And would you know certainly, that the Cross is a glory to Jesus? Hear His own words, not mine. Judas had become ungrateful to the Master of the house, and was about to betray Him. Having but just now gone forth from the table, and drunk His cup of blessing, in return for that drought of salvation he sought to shed righteous blood. He who did eat of His bread, was lifting up his heel against Him; his hands were but lately receiving the blessed gifts, and presently for the wages of betrayal he was plotting His death. And being reproved, and having heard that word, You have said (Matthew 26:25), he again went out: then said Jesus, The hour has come, that the Son of man should be glorified. (John 12:23) Do you see how He knew the Cross to be His proper glory? What then, is Esaias not ashamed of being sawn asunder, and shall Christ be ashamed of dying for the world? Now is the Son of man glorified. (John 13:31) Not that He was without glory before: for He was glorified with the glory which was before the foundation of the world. He was ever glorified as God; but now He was to be glorified in wearing the Crown of His patience. He gave not up His life by compulsion, nor was He put to death by murderous violence, but of His own accord. Hear what He says: I have power to lay down My life, and I have power to take it again: I yield it of My own choice to My enemies; for unless I chose, this could not be. He came therefore of His own set purpose to His passion, rejoicing in His noble deed, smiling at the crown, cheered by the salvation of mankind; not ashamed of the Cross, for it was to save the world. For it was no common man who suffered, but God in man's nature, striving for the prize of His patience.
John Chrysostom (c. 347 – 14 September 407) was an important Early Church Father who served as archbishop of Constantinople. He is known for his preaching and public speaking, his denunciation of abuse of authority by both ecclesiastical and political leaders, his Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom, and his ascetic sensibilities. The epithet Χρυσόστομος (Chrysostomos, anglicized as Chrysostom) means “golden-mouthed” in Greek and denotes his celebrated eloquence. Chrysostom was among the most prolific authors in the early Christian Church.
“But far be it from me to glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, Through which the world has been crucified unto me, and I unto the world. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name”
Crucifixion from Rabbula Gospels, f ol. 13a, ca. 586
But far be it from me to glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Truly this symbol is thought despicable; but it is so in the world's reckoning, and among men; in Heaven and among the faithful it is the highest glory. Poverty too is despicable, but it is our boast; and to be cheaply thought of by the public is a matter of laughter to them, but we are elated by it. So too is the Cross our boast. He does not say, I boast not, nor, I will not boast, but, Far be it from me that I should, as if he abominated it as absurd, and invoked the aid of God in order to his success therein. And what is the boast of the Cross? That Christ for my sake took on Him the form of a slave, and bore His sufferings for me the slave, the enemy, the unfeeling one; yea He so loved me as to give Himself up to a curse for me. What can be comparable to this! If servants who only receive praise from their masters, to whom they are akin by nature, are elated thereby, how must we not boast when the Master who is very God is not ashamed of the Cross which was endured for us. Let us then not be ashamed of His unspeakable tenderness; He was not ashamed of being crucified for your sake, and will you be ashamed to confess His infinite solicitude? It is as if a prisoner who had not been ashamed of his King, should, after that King had come to the prison and himself loosed the chains, become ashamed of him on that account. Yet this would be the height of madness, for this very fact would be a special ground for boasting.
Manuscript Illumination with Crucifixion in an Initial T, from a Missal
Avignon, France
Through which the world has been crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
What he here calls the world is not the heaven nor the earth, but the affairs of life, the praise of men, retinues, glory, wealth, and all such things as have a show of splendor. To me these things are dead. Such an one it behooves a Christian to be, and always to use this language. Nor was he content with the former putting to death, but added another, saying, and I unto the world, thus implying a double putting to death, and saying, They are dead to me, and I to them, neither can they captivate and overcome me, for they are dead once for all, nor can I desire them, for I too am dead to them. Nothing can be more blessed than this putting to death, for it is the foundation of the blessed life.
St. Andrew of Crete (650-740 A.D.) proclaims the Victory, Glory, and Triumph of Christ Crucified for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 14, the day that the stolen relics of the true Crucifixion were returned to Jerusalem in the early 7th century.
We are Lifted Up with Christ Crucified
Cross in San Damiano Chapel in Assisi, Italy (12th Century)
We are celebrating the Feast of the Cross which drove away darkness and brought in the light.
As we keep this feast, we are lifted up with the crucified Christ, leaving behind us earth and sin so that we may gain the things above. So great and outstanding a possession is the Cross that he who wins it has won a treasure. Rightly could I call this treasure the fairest of all fair things and the costliest, in fact as well as in name, for on it and through it and for its sake the riches of salvation that had been lost were restored to us.
Had there been no Cross, Christ could not have been crucified. Had there been no Cross, life itself could not have been nailed to the tree. And if life had not been nailed to it, there would be no streams of immortality pouring from Christ’s side, blood and water for the world’s cleansing. The legal bond of our sin would not be cancelled, we should not have attained our freedom, we should not have enjoyed the fruit of the tree of life and the gates of paradise would not stand open. Had there been no Cross, death would not have been trodden underfoot, nor hell despoiled.
Therefore, the Cross is something wonderfully great and honorable. It is great because through the cross the many noble acts of Christ found their consummation – very many indeed, for both his miracles and his sufferings were fully rewarded with victory. The cross is honorable because it is both the sign of God’s suffering and the trophy of his victory. It stands for his suffering because on it he freely suffered unto death. But it is also his trophy because it was the means by which the devil was wounded and death conquered; the barred gates of hell were smashed, and the cross became the one common salvation of the whole world.
The Cross is Victory, Glory & Triumph
Le Triomphe du Christianisme sur le paganisme The Triumph of Christianity over Paganism Gustave Doré 1899
The cross is called Christ’s glory; it is saluted as his triumph. We recognize it as the cup he longed to drink and the climax of the sufferings he endured for our sake.
As to the cross being Christ’s glory, listen to his words: Now is the Son of Man glorified, and in him God is glorified, and God will glorify him at once. And again: Father, glorify me with the glory I had with you before the world came to be. And once more: Father, glorify your name. Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it and will glorify it again”. Here he speaks of the glory that would accrue to him through the cross.
And if you would understand that the cross is Christ’s triumph, hear what he himself also said: When I am lifted up, then I will draw all men to myself. Now you can see that the cross is Christ’s glory and triumph.
This excerpt from one of St. Andrewʼs discourses on the glory and victory of Christ crucified (Oratio 10 in Exaltatione sanctae crucis: PG 97, 1018-1019, 1022-23), is used in the Roman Catholic Office of Readings on September 14, the Feast of the Exaltation, Triumph, and Victory of the Holy Cross. The corresponding biblical reading is taken from St. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians (Gal 2:19-3:7-14 and 6:14-16).
Egeria was a Western European Christian woman, widely regarded to be the author of a detailed account of a pilgrimage to the Holy Land about 381/2–386. The long letter, dubbed “Peregrinatio or Itinerarium Egeriae”, is addressed to a circle of women at home. Historical details it contains set the journey in the early 380s, making it the earliest of its kind. It survives in fragmentary form in a later copy—lacking a title, date and attribution.
The Chronicles of Egeria
Good Friday Account
The Alexamenos Graffito
Ancient Rome, AD 85
Graffiti of a satirical representation of the Christian worship,
depicting a man worshiping a crucified donkey.
It translates as “Alexamenos worships [his] god”.
(a) Service at Daybreak.
And when they arrive before the Cross the daylight is already growing bright. There the passage from the Gospel is read where the Lord is brought before Pilate, with everything that is written concerning that which Pilate spake to the Lord or to the Jews; the whole is read. And afterwards the bishop addresses the people, comforting them for that they have toiled all night and are about to toil during that same day, (bidding) them not be weary, but to have hope in God, Who will for that toil give them a greater reward. And encouraging them as he is able, he addresses them thus: “Go now, each one of you, to your houses, and sit down awhile, and all of you be ready here just before the second hour of the day, that from that hour to the sixth you may be able to behold the holy wood of the Cross, each one of us believing that it will be profitable to his salvation; then from the sixth hour we must all assemble again in this place, that is, before the Cross, that we may apply ourselves to lections and to prayers until night.”
(b) The Column of the Flagellation.
After this, when the dismissal at the Cross has been made, that is, before the sun rises, they all go at once with fervour to Sion, to pray at the column at which the Lord was scourged. And returning thence they sit for awhile in their houses, and presently all are ready.
(c) Veneration of the Cross.
Then a chair is placed for the bishop in Golgotha behind the Cross, which is now standing; the bishop duly takes his seat in the chair, and a table covered with a linen cloth is placed before him; the deacons stand round the table, and a silver-gilt casket is brought in which is the holy wood of the Cross. The casket is opened and (the wood) is taken out, and both the wood of the Cross and the title are placed upon the table. Now, when it has been put upon the table, the bishop, as he sits, holds the extremities of the sacred wood firmly in his hands, while the deacons who stand around guard it. It is guarded thus because the custom is that the people, both faithful and catechumens, come one by one and, bowing down at the table, kiss the sacred wood and pass through. And because, I know not when, some one is said to have bitten off and stolen a portion of the sacred wood, it is thus guarded by the deacons who stand around, lest any one approaching should venture to do so again. And as all the people pass by one by one, all bowing themselves, they touch the Cross and the title, first with their foreheads and then with their eyes; then they kiss the Cross and pass through, but none lays his hand upon it to touch it. When they have kissed the Cross and have passed through, a deacon stands holding the ring of Solomon and the horn from which the kings were anointed; they kiss the horn also and gaze at the ring … all the people are passing through up to the sixth hour, entering by one door and going out by another; for this is done in the same place where, on the preceding day, that is, on the fifth weekday, the oblation was offered.
(d) Station before the Cross.
And when the sixth hour has come, they go before the Cross, whether it be in rain or in heat, the place being open to the air, as it were, a court of great size and of some beauty between the Cross and the Anastasis; here all the people assemble in such great numbers that there is no thoroughfare. The chair is placed for the bishop before the Cross, and from the sixth to the ninth hour nothing else is done, but the reading of lessons, which are read thus: first from the psalms wherever the Passion is spoken of, then from the Apostle, either from the epistles of the Apostles or from their Acts, wherever they have spoken of the Lord's Passion; then the passages from the Gospels, where He suffered, are read. Then the readings from the prophets where they foretold that the Lord should suffer, then from the Gospels where He mentions His Passion. Thus from the sixth to the ninth hours the lessons are so read and the hymns said, that it may be shown to all the people that whatsoever the prophets foretold of the Lord's Passion is proved from the Gospels and from the writings of the Apostles to have been fulfilled. And so through all those three hours the people are taught that nothing was done which had not been foretold, and that nothing was foretold which was not wholly fulfilled. Prayers also suitable to the day are interspersed throughout. The emotion shown and the mourning by all the people at every lesson and prayer is wonderful; for there is none, either great or small, who, on that day during those three hours, does not lament more than can be conceived, that the Lord had suffered those things for us.
Afterwards, at the beginning of the ninth hour, there is read that passage from the Gospel according to John where He gave up the ghost. This read, prayer and the dismissal follow.
Theodore the Studite (759-826) was a Byzantine Greek monk and abbot of the Stoudios monastery in Constantinople. Theodore was esteemed for his personal holiness, his brilliant abilities as a preacher, and his willingness to champion the rights of the church, even at the price of deep personal sacrifice. He was also the author of five hundred letters, hymns, sermons, polemics against Iconoclasm, and two cathechisms.
By the cross death was slain and Adam was restored to life. The cross is the glory of all the apostles, the crown of the martyrs, the sanctification of the saints.
Anastasis, symbolic representation of the resurrection of Christ. Panel from a Roman lidless sarcophagus of the “Passion type”, ca. 350 CE. From the excavations of the Duchess of Chablais at Tor Marancia, 1817-1821.
How precious the gift of the cross, how splendid to contemplate! In the cross there is no mingling of good and evil, as in the tree of paradise: it is wholly beautiful to behold and good to taste. The fruit of this tree is not death but life, not darkness but light. This tree does not cast us out of paradise, but opens the way for our return. This was the tree on which Christ, like a king on a chariot, destroyed the devil, the lord of death, and freed the human race from his tyranny.
This was the tree upon which the Lord like a brave warrior wounded in hands, feet and side, healed the wounds of sin that the evil serpent had inflicted on our nature. A tree once caused our death, but now a tree brings life. Once deceived by a tree, we have now repelled the cunning serpent by a tree. What an astonishing transformation! That death should become life, that decay should become immortality, that shame should become glory! Well might the holy Apostle exclaim: Far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world! The supreme wisdom that flowered on the cross has shown the folly of worldly wisdom's pride. The knowledge of all good, which is the fruit of the cross, has cut away the shoots of wickedness.
Gravestone at the St. Domitilla catacomb in Rome depicting two fish anchored to the anchor of hope From the excavations of the Duchess of Chablais at Tor Marancia, 1817-1821.
The wonders accomplished through this tree were foreshadowed clearly even by the mere types and figures that existed in the past. Meditate on these, if you are eager to learn. Was it not the wood of a tree that enabled Noah, at God's command, to escape the destruction of the flood together with his sons, his wife, his sons' wives and every kind of animal? And surely the rod of Moses prefigured the cross when it changed water into blood, swallowed up the false serpents of Pharaoh's magicians, divided the sea at one stroke and then restored the waters to their normal course, drowning the enemy and saving God's own people? Aaron's rod, which blossomed in one day in proof of his true priesthood, was another figure of the cross, and did not Abraham foreshadow the cross when he bound his son Isaac and placed him on the pile of wood?
By the cross death was slain and Adam was restored to life. The cross is the glory of all the apostles, the crown of the martyrs, the sanctification of the saints. By the cross we put on Christ and cast aside our former self. By the cross we, the sheep of Christ, have been gathered into one flock, destined for the sheepfold of heaven.
Pope Leo I (c. 400 – 10 November 461), also known as Leo the Great, was bishop of Rome from 29 September 440 until his death. Leo was a Roman aristocrat, and was the first pope to have been called "the Great". He is perhaps best known for having met Attila the Hun in 452 and persuaded him to turn back from his invasion of Italy. He is also a Doctor of the Church, most remembered theologically for issuing the Tome of Leo, a document which was a major foundation to the debates of the Council of Chalcedon, the fourth ecumenical council.
St. Leo the Great On the Passion of the Lord
How marvelous the power of the cross; how great beyond all telling the glory of the passion. Here is the judgment-seat of the Lord, the condemnation of the world, the supremacy of Christ crucified.
Lord, you drew all things to yourself so that the devotion of all peoples everywhere might celebrate, in a sacrament made perfect and visible, what was carried out in the one temple of Judea under obscure foreshadowings. Now there is a more distinguished order of Levites, a greater dignity for the rank of elders, a more sacred anointing for the priesthood, because your cross is the source of all blessings, the cause of all graces. Through the cross the faithful receive strength from weakness, glory from dishonor, life from death.
The different sacrifices of animals are no more: the one offering of your body and blood is the fulfillment of all the different sacrificial offerings, for you are the true Lamb of God: you take away the sins of the world. In yourself you bring to perfection all mysteries, so that, as there is one sacrifice in place of all other sacrificial offerings, there is also one kingdom gathered from all peoples.
Dearly beloved, let us then acknowledge what Saint Paul, the teacher of the nations, acknowledged so exultantly: This is a saying worthy of trust, worthy of complete acceptance: Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners.
God’s compassion for us is all the more wonderful because Christ died, not for the righteous or the holy but for the wicked and the sinful, and, though the divine nature could not be touched by the sting of death, he took to himself, through his birth as one of us, something he could offer on our behalf.
Outdoor Wall Decor Bremen Cathedral, Germany
The power of his death once confronted our death. In the words of Hosea the prophet: Death, I shall be your death; grave, I shall swallow you up. By dying he submitted to the laws of the underworld; by rising again he destroyed them. He did away with the everlasting character of death so as to make death a thing of time, not of eternity. As all die in Adam, so all will be brought to life in Christ.
Our understanding, which is enlightened by the Spirit of truth, should receive with purity and freedom of heart the glory of the cross as it shines in heaven and on earth. It should see with inner vision the meaning of the Lord's words when he spoke of the imminence of his passion: The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Afterward he said: Now my soul is troubled, and what am I to say? Father, save me from this hour. But it was for this I came to this hour. Father, glorify your Son. When the voice of the Father came from heaven, saying, I have glorified him, and will glorify him again, Jesus said in reply to those around him: It was not for me that this voice spoke, but for you. Now is the judgment of the world, now will the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to myself.
This excerpt from a sermon by Saint Leo the Great (Sermo 8 de passione Domini, 6-8; PL 54, 340-342) on the power and glory of the cross of Jesus Christ is used in the Roman Church’s office of readings for Tuesday of the 5th week in Lent with the accompanying biblical reading being Hebrews 3:1-19.
St. John (675 or 676 – 749?) spent most of his life in the Monastery of Saint Sabas near Jerusalem. He is famous in three areas: First, he is known for his writings against the iconoclasts, who opposed the veneration of images. Second, he is famous for his treatise, Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, a summary of the Greek Fathers, of which he became the last. It is said that this book is for Eastern schools what the Summa Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas became for the West. Third, he is known as a poet, one of the two greatest of the Eastern Church.
Concerning the Cross and here further concerning Faith by John Damascene (675-749 AD)
The Crucifixion St. Thomas à Becket Church, Jefferson Hills, Pa.
The word “Cross” is foolishness to those that perish, but to us who are saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:23) For he that is spiritual judges all things, but the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit. For it is foolishness to those who do not receive in faith and who do not consider God's goodness and omnipotence, but search out divine things with human and natural reasonings. For all the things that are of God are above nature and reason and conception. For should any one consider how and for what purpose God brought all things out of nothing and into being, and aim at arriving at that by natural reasonings, he fails to comprehend it. For knowledge of this kind belongs to spirits and demons. But if any one, under the guidance of faith, should consider the divine goodness and omnipotence and truth and wisdom and justice, he will find all things smooth and even, and the way straight. But without faith it is impossible to be saved. (Hebrews 11:6) For it is by faith that all things, both human and spiritual, are sustained. For without faith neither does the farmer cut his furrow, nor does the merchant commit his life to the raging waves of the sea on a small piece of wood, nor are marriages contracted nor any other step in life taken. By faith we consider that all things were brought out of nothing into being by God's power. And we direct all things, both divine and human, by faith. Further, faith is assent free from all meddlesome inquisitiveness.
(Romans 6:3) and as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. (Galatians 3:27) Further Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1:24) Lo! The death of Christ, that is, the Cross, clothed us with the enhypostatic wisdom and power of God. And the power of God is the Word of the Cross, either because God's might, that is, the victory over death, has been revealed to us by it, or because, just as the four extremities of the Cross are held fast and bound together by the bolt in the middle, so also by God's power the height and the depth, the length and the breadth, that is, every creature visible and invisible, is maintained.
Every action, therefore, and performance of miracles by Christ are most great and divine and marvelous: but the most marvelous of all is His precious Cross. For no other thing has subdued death, expiated the sin of the first parent , despoiled Hades, bestowed the resurrection, granted the power to us of contemning the present and even death itself, prepared the return to our former blessedness, opened the gates of Paradise , given our nature a seat at the right hand of God, and made us the children and heirs of God , save the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. For by the Cross all things have been made right. So many of us, the apostle says, as were baptized into Christ, were baptized into His death
This was given to us as a sign on our forehead, just as the circumcision was given to Israel: for by it we believers are separated and distinguished from unbelievers. This is the shield and weapon against, and trophy over, the devil. This is the seal that the destroyer may not touch you (Exodus 12:23), as says the Scripture. This is the resurrection of those lying in death, the support of the standing, the staff of the weak, the rod of the flock, the safe conduct of the earnest, the perfection of those that press forwards, the salvation of soul and body, the aversion of all things evil, the patron of all things good, the taking away of sin, the plant of resurrection, the tree of eternal life.
From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Ser. II, Vol. IX: John of Damascus: The Fount of Knowledge III, Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, chapter 11: Concerning the Cross and here further concerning Faith.
The Dream of the Rood is one of the Christian poems in the corpus of Old English literature and an example of the genre of dream poetry. The word “Rood” is from the Old English word rōd 'pole', or more specifically ‘crucifix’. It is one of the earliest known examples of Christian devotional poetry. In it, the narrator dreams of a beautiful cross covered with gold and jewels, wondrous to see. As he draws closer, however, the cross starts to bleed. It then speaks to him.
From “The Dream of the Rood" by Anonymous
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo 1660-1670
Listen! I will speak of the sweetest dream, what came to me in the middle of the night, when speech-bearers slept in their rest.
It seemed that I saw a most wondrous tree raised on high, wound round with light, the brightest of beams. All that beacon was covered in gold; gems stood fair at the earth’s corners, and there were five up on the cross-beam. All the angels of the Lord looked on; fair through all eternity; that was no felon’s gallows, but holy spirits beheld him there, men over the earth and all this glorious creation.
Wondrous was the victory-tree, and I was stained by sins, wounded with guilt; I saw the tree of glory honored in garments, shining with joys, bedecked with gold; gems had covered worthily the Creator’s tree. And yet beneath that gold I began to see an ancient wretched struggle, when it first began to bleed on the right side. I was all beset with sorrows, fearful for that fair vision; I saw that eager beacon change garments and colors –– now it was drenched, stained with blood, now bedecked with treasure.
And yet, lying there a long while, I beheld in sorrow the Savior’s tree until I heard it utter a sound; that best of woods began to speak words:
“It was so long ago –– I remember it still –– that I was felled from the forest’s edge, ripped up from my roots. Strong enemies seized me there, made me their spectacle, made me bear their criminals; they bore me on their shoulders and then set me on a hill, enemies enough fixed me fast. Then I saw the Lord of mankind hasten eagerly, when he wanted to ascend upon me. I did not dare to break or bow down against the Lord’s word, when I saw the ends of the earth tremble. Easily I might have felled all those enemies, and yet I stood fast.
Then the young hero made ready — that was God almighty — strong and resolute; he ascended on the high gallows, brave in the sight of many, when he wanted to ransom mankind. I trembled when he embraced me, but I dared not bow to the ground, or fall to the earth’s corners –– I had to stand fast.
I was reared as a cross: I raised up the mighty King, the Lord of heaven; I dared not lie down. They drove dark nails through me; the scars are still visible, open wounds of hate; I dared not harm any of them. They mocked us both together; I was all drenched with blood flowing from that man’s side after he had sent forth his spirit.
“Much have I endured on that hill of hostile fates: I saw the God of hosts cruelly stretched out. Darkness had covered with its clouds the Ruler’s corpse, that shining radiance. Shadows spread grey under the clouds; all creation wept, mourned the King’s fall: Christ on the cross.
And yet from afar men came hastening to that noble one; I watched it all. I was all beset with sorrow, yet I sank into their hands, humbly, eagerly. There they took almighty God, lifted him from his heavy torment; the warriors then left me standing drenched in blood, all shot through with arrows. They laid him down, bone-weary, and stood by his body’s head; they watched the Lord of heaven there, who rested a while, weary from his mighty battle.
They began to build a tomb for him in the sight of his slayer; they carved it from bright stone, and set within the Lord of victories. They began to sing a dirge for him, wretched at evening, when they wished to travel hence, weary, from the glorious Lord –– he rested there with little company.
And as we stood there, weeping, a long while fixed in our station, the song ascended from those warriors. The corpse grew cold, the fair life-house. Then they began to fell us all to the earth –– a terrible fate!
They dug for us a deep pit, yet the Lord’s thanes, friends found me there… adorned me with gold and silver.
“Now you can hear, my dear hero, that I have endured the work of evil-doers, harsh sorrows. Now the time has come that far and wide they will honor me, men over the earth and all this glorious creation, and pray to this sign. On me the Son of God suffered for a time; and so, glorious now I rise up under the heavens, and am able to heal each of those who is in awe of me.
Once I was made into the worst of torments, most hateful to all people, before I opened the true way of life for speech-bearers. Lo! the King of glory, Guardian of heaven’s kingdom honored me over all the trees of the forest, just as he has also, almighty God, honored his mother, Mary herself, above all womankind for the sake of all men.
“Now I bid you, my beloved hero, that you reveal this vision to men, tell them in words that it is the tree of glory on which almighty God suffered for mankind’s many sins and Adam’s ancient deeds. Death He tasted there, yet the Lord rose again with his great might to help mankind. He ascended into heaven. He will come again to this middle-earth to seek mankind on doomsday, almighty God, the Lord himself and his angels with him, and He will judge — He has the power of judgment — each one of them as they have earned beforehand here in this loaned life.
No one there may be unafraid at the words which the Ruler will speak: He will ask before the multitude where the man might be who for the Lord’s name would taste bitter death, as He did earlier on that tree. But they will tremble then, and little think what they might even begin to say to Christ. But no one there need be very afraid who has borne in his breast the best of beacons; but through the cross we shall seek the kingdom, every soul from this earthly way, whoever thinks to rest with the Ruler.”
Then I prayed to the tree with a happy heart, eagerly, there where I was alone with little company. My spirit longed to start on the journey forth; it has felt so much of longing. It is now my life’s hope that I might seek the tree of victory alone, more often than all men and honor it well. I wish for that with all my heart, and my hope of protection is fixed on the cross.
I have few wealthy friends on earth; but they all have gone forth, fled from worldly joys and sought the King of glory; they live now in heaven with the High Father, and dwell in glory, and each day I look forward to the time when the cross of the Lord, on which I have looked while here on this earth, will fetch me from this loaned life, and bring me where there is great bliss, joy in heaven, where the Lord’s host is seated at the feast, with ceaseless bliss; and then set me where I may afterwards dwell in glory, have a share of joy fully with the saints.
May the Lord be my friend, He who here on earth once suffered on the hanging-tree for human sin; He ransomed us and gave us life, a heavenly home. Hope was renewed with cheer and bliss for those who were burning there.
The Son was successful in that journey, mighty and victorious, when he came with a multitude, a great host of souls, into God’s kingdom, the one Ruler almighty, the angels rejoicing and all the saints already in heaven dwelling in glory, when almighty God, their Ruler, returned to his rightful home.
The original version of the poem (from Old English) may be found HERE
The modern translation used here by Roy Liuzza may be found HERE
Another modern translation may be found HERE Another modern translation may be found HERE Another modern translation may be found HERE
The English scholar Alcuin devised this remarkable acrostic poem in the ninth century. The text can be read in conventional lines of Latin, and additional phrases are embedded in a symmetrical arrangement of lines that represent the cross inscribed upon the world:
De Sancta Cruce
From Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Horizontal, top and bottom:
Crux decus es mundi Iessu de sanguine sancta (“Cross, you are the glory of the world, in Jesus’ blood sanctified”)
Suscipe sic talem rubicumdam celsa coronam (“Accept, exalted cross, from me this scarlet crown”)
Vertical, left and right:
Crux pia vera salus partes in quatuor orbis (“Pious cross, true salvation in the four corners of the world”)
Alma teneto tuam Christo dominane coronam (“Beneficent, take your crown, Christ being the Lord”)
The cross:
Rector in orbe tuis sanavit saecla sigillis (“The ruler of the world saved generations by your sign”)
Surge lavanda tuae sunt saecula fonte fidei (“Rise, the world is cleansed in the font of faith”)
The diamond, representing the world (whose four corners are referenced in the vertical line on the left):
Salve sancta rubens, fregisti vincula mundi (“Hail holy scarlet, you have shattered the world’s shackles”)
Signa valete novis reserata salutibus orbi (“Wonders are manifest, revealed anew to the world in saving works”)
A translation of the full text:
Cross, you are the glory of the world, in Jesus’ blood sanctified. God the king from the cross conveyed heaven’s judgment. A victor he reigns, destroying evil and conquering the enemy, Christ the great sacrifice nailed on the cross for us. The shepherd by dying redeemed his sheep with his healing right hand. Glorious, holy salvation from the venerable tree, he seized the prize, shrugging off the ties of flesh. Though in bonds the highest king freed us, and he himself giving his life to the cross triumphed over death, The kingdom of heaven gaped when the world’s enemy was destroyed. The sign will be more manifest and all good people will wear it, praising it with all strength; let all discern more profoundly so that they may see how many his holy passion frees from eternal sorrow, and see one thrown down by time to heal those oppressed by the enemy’s torments; there may the highest and true Joseph now be our salvation, who suffered high upon the cross such that error can’t seduce and poison men and drag them from the light of faith. The ruler of the world saved generations by your sign. You, my life, my salvation! For you alone my voice composes hymns, and shall always sing the highest songs, clear and plain with the plectrum; for David famous for his song proves that it is proper for us to testify holiness continually in elaborate style — accept that which I have just begun, O Christ supernal, true salvation, great sufferer, you sacred and holy light. Now the secular nations sing the beneficent sign of the cross, all the earth trembles and in one accord proclaims the fame of the cross. In prayer it reveals its inmost heart. Now hear, vain men, confounded in evil: The almighty shines forth. May blessed faith fill your hearts and the serpent not drive them back to their old ways. The highest and most faithful redeemer has restored us to his kingdom, and has conquered by this sign the obdurate one, toppling warlike Satan from the place he hazarded to rule. Glorious cross, the world should loose its prayers to you. Accept, exalted cross, from me this scarlet crown.
Thomas à Kempis, also known as Thomas Hämerken (1380 - 1471), was a Renaissance Roman Catholic monk and author of The Imitation of Christ, one of the most well-known Christian books on devotion. Thomas was born at Kempen in the duchy of Cleves in Germany around 1380. He was educated by a religious order called the Brethren of the Common Life, and in due course joined the order, was ordained a priest, and became sub-prior of his house, where he died in 1471.
Tree of Life, Living Vine Crucifix produced by Albl Oberammergau in collaboration with Studio io for the University Catholic Center in Austin, TX. Courtesy of Albl Oberammergau
TO MANY the saying, “Deny thyself, take up thy cross and follow Me,” (Matthew 16:24) seems hard, but it will be much harder to hear that final word: “Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire.” (Matthew 25:41) Those who hear the word of the cross and follow it willingly now, need not fear that they will hear of eternal damnation on the day of judgment. This sign of the cross will be in the heavens when the Lord comes to judge. Then all the servants of the cross, who during life made themselves one with the Crucified, will draw near with great trust to Christ, the judge.
Why, then, do you fear to take up the cross when through it you can win a kingdom? In the cross is salvation, in the cross is life, in the cross is protection from enemies, in the cross is infusion of heavenly sweetness, in the cross is strength of mind, in the cross is joy of spirit, in the cross is highest virtue, in the cross is perfect holiness. There is no salvation of soul nor hope of everlasting life but in the cross.
Take up your cross, therefore, and follow Jesus, and you shall enter eternal life. He Himself opened the way before you in carrying His cross, and upon it He died for you, that you, too, might take up your cross and long to die upon it. If you die with Him, you shall also live with Him, and if you share His suffering, you shall also share His glory.
Behold, in the cross is everything, and upon your dying on the cross everything depends. There is no other way to life and to true inward peace than the way of the holy cross and daily mortification. Go where you will, seek what you will, you will not find a higher way, nor a less exalted but safer way, than the way of the holy cross. Arrange and order everything to suit your will and judgment, and still you will find that some suffering must always be borne, willingly or unwillingly, and thus you will always find the cross.
Either you will experience bodily pain or you will undergo tribulation of spirit in your soul. At times you will be forsaken by God, at times troubled by those about you and, what is worse, you will often grow weary of yourself. You cannot escape, you cannot be relieved by any remedy or comfort but must bear with it as long as God wills. For He wishes you to learn to bear trial without consolation, to submit yourself wholly to Him that you may become more humble through suffering. No one understands the passion of Christ so thoroughly or heartily as the man whose lot it is to suffer the like himself.
The cross, therefore, is always ready; it awaits you everywhere. No matter where you may go, you cannot escape it, for wherever you go you take yourself with you and shall always find yourself. Turn where you will – above, below, without, or within – you will find a cross in everything, and everywhere you must have patience if you would have peace within and merit an eternal crown.
Apse Mosaic
Basilica San Clemente, Rome
If you carry the cross willingly, it will carry and lead you to the desired goal where indeed there shall be no more suffering, but here there shall be. If you carry it unwillingly, you create a burden for yourself and increase the load, though still you have to bear it. If you cast away one cross, you will find another and perhaps a heavier one. Do you expect to escape what no mortal man can ever avoid? Which of the saints was without a cross or trial on this earth? Not even Jesus Christ, our Lord, Whose every hour on earth knew the pain of His passion. “It behooveth Christ to suffer, and to rise again from the dead, . . . and so enter into his glory.” (Luke 24:46, 26) How is it that you look for another way than this, the royal way of the holy cross?
The whole life of Christ was a cross and a martyrdom, and do you seek rest and enjoyment for yourself? You deceive yourself, you are mistaken if you seek anything but to suffer, for this mortal life is full of miseries and marked with crosses on all sides. Indeed, the more spiritual progress a person makes, so much heavier will he frequently find the cross, because as his love increases, the pain of his exile also increases.
Yet such a man, though afflicted in many ways, is not without hope of consolation, because he knows that great reward is coming to him for bearing his cross. And when he carries it willingly, every pang of tribulation is changed into hope of solace from God. Besides, the more the flesh is distressed by affliction, so much the more is the spirit strengthened by inward grace. Not infrequently a man is so strengthened by his love of trials and hardship in his desire to conform to the cross of Christ, that he does not wish to be without sorrow or pain, since he believes he will be the more acceptable to God if he is able to endure more and more grievous things for His sake.
It is the grace of Christ, and not the virtue of man, which can and does bring it about that through fervor of spirit frail flesh learns to love and to gain what it naturally hates and shuns.
To carry the cross, to love the cross, to chastise the body and bring it to subjection, to flee honors, to endure contempt gladly, to despise self and wish to be despised, to suffer any adversity and loss, to desire no prosperous days on earth – this is not man’s way. If you rely upon yourself, you can do none of these things, but if you trust in the Lord, strength will be given you from heaven and the world and the flesh will be made subject to your word. You will not even fear your enemy, the devil, if you are armed with faith and signed with the cross of Christ.
Set yourself, then, like a good and faithful servant of Christ, to bear bravely the cross of your Lord, Who out of love was crucified for you. Be ready to suffer many adversities and many kinds of trouble in this miserable life, for troublesome and miserable life will always be, no matter where you are; and so you will find it wherever you may hide. Thus it must be; and there is no way to evade the trials and sorrows of life but to bear them.
Apse Mosaic Sant’Apollinaire in Classe, Ravenna
Drink the chalice of the Lord with affection it you wish to be His friend and to have part with Him. Leave consolation to God; let Him do as most pleases Him. On your part, be ready to bear sufferings and consider them the greatest consolation, for even though you alone were to undergo them all, the sufferings of this life are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come.
When you shall have come to the point where suffering is sweet and acceptable for the sake of Christ, then consider yourself fortunate, for you have found paradise on earth. But as long as suffering irks you and you seek to escape, so long will you be unfortunate, and the tribulation you seek to evade will follow you everywhere. If you put your mind to the things you ought to consider, that is, to suffering and death, you would soon be in a better state and would find peace.
Although you were taken to the third heaven with Paul, you were not thereby insured against suffering. Jesus said: “I will show him how great things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” (Acts 9:16) To suffer, then, remains your lot, if you mean to love Jesus and serve Him forever.
If you were but worthy to suffer something for the name of Jesus, what great glory would be in store for you, what great joy to all the saints of God, what great edification to those about you! For all men praise patience though there are few who wish to practice it.
With good reason, then, ought you to be willing to suffer a little for Christ since many suffer much more for the world.
Realize that you must lead a dying life; the more a man dies to himself, the more he begins to live unto God.
No man is fit to enjoy heaven unless he has resigned himself to suffer hardship for Christ. Nothing is more acceptable to God, nothing more helpful for you on this earth than to suffer willingly for Christ. If you had to make a choice, you ought to wish rather to suffer for Christ than to enjoy many consolations, for thus you would be more like Christ and more like all the saints. Our merit and progress consist not in many pleasures and comforts but rather in enduring great afflictions and sufferings.
If, indeed, there were anything better or more useful for man’s salvation than suffering, Christ would have shown it by word and example. But He clearly exhorts the disciples who follow Him and all who wish to follow Him to carry the cross, saying: “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23)
When, therefore, we have read and searched all that has been written, let this be the final conclusion – that through much suffering we must enter into the kingdom of God.
A torture device is transformed into a universal symbol of Hope and Peace
Isenheim Altarpiece
by Matthias Grunewald, c. 1515
If the Romans had hung criminals from a gibbet, then Catholic churches would display a noose in their sanctuaries instead of a cross. Or a statue of Jesus’ lifeless body would be hanging in the sanctuary from a sturdy branch with a rope wrapped tightly around His neck. If the Romans had practiced stoning as their chosen form of capital punishment, then there would be a pile of rocks for the congregation to gaze at in hope, with Jesus’ body, bruised and broken, lying lifeless nearby. We are accustomed to the cross. We wear it around our necks, chisel it onto our tombstones, tattoo it onto our arms, and anchor it into rocky mountain peaks. We even top our steeples with the cross and illuminate it at night. The Church has been so spectacularly successful in communicating its truths about suffering and death, about resurrection and life, that we perhaps don’t notice that, over long centuries, a device of torture and death has been reinterpreted as the world’s greatest symbol of life and peace.
This is the paradox of the cross. Today’s feast commemorates the Cross because in spiritual combat with life, the cross lost. A conqueror might plant the head of his decapitated opponent on a spike, a soldier might return from a far-away war with an enemies’ flag captured in the heat of battle, or an American Indian might tuck the scalps of his poor victims under his saddle. Trophies of war take many forms. The Cross is Christ’s war trophy. The Church exalts the Cross on this liturgical feast because this enemy of life was felled like timber by the Son of God. The Cross was brought low and humbled. It was mocked when Jesus rose from the dead. The Church holds up the Cross to say “Behold what the cross did not do. Behold that life conquers even a cruel and public death.”
God’s self-emptying started at the incarnation. He humbled himself to walk among us when He restricted Himself to the limitations of His own creatures. God continued to pour Himself out until He climbed onto the wood of the Cross, completing the total self-gift that was His life. Our God is not like a general who sends a subordinate to carry out a dangerous mission, like an absent parent who pays someone else to raise his children, or like a physician who coldly touches his patient’s body and then washes in antiseptic. No, our God is like a surgeon who, before he cuts, points to his side and says to the patient with empathy, “I had the same – see my scars.” Our God points to the wound in His open side and says, “I too was the victim of evil and death.” God bore the Cross and its cruel death so that He could drink from the same bitter cup as man, so that He could enter more fully into the world’s sorrow.
The Crucifixion
by Albrecht Dürer, c. 1518
Death on the Cross was not preordained. God could have freely chosen other ways to redeem the human race – through intelligence, wisdom, charm, money, or education. But then, to participate in His redemption, we would have to study for a PhD, attend etiquette school, get a good job, earn an excellent wage, or receive good grades. Not everyone can do these things. But everyone can die. Death is egalitarian. Everyone does it. So God did it and “so made the grave a sign of hope that promises resurrection even as it claims our mortal bodies,” as the graveside prayer states. The Cross, then, is everyone’s trophy, raised high with one arm, head cocked to the side. It is in this sense that the Cross is a sign of hope. Because the Cross lost the fight with Christ, death is not the final answer. The Cross says that our God does not answer the question of suffering and death in a partial academic way. He responds in a total human way. He responds with His life. He doesn’t explain; He shares. He responds with empathy by taking up His Cross and inviting us to do the same.
Jesus Christ, Your three hours on the Cross gave that wicked device a new meaning.
Through contemplation of Your sufferings,
may we transform all the wickedness and sin in our lives into something valuable.
May we convert evil, transform sin,
and, like You, go from death to life.
Edith Stein, also known as Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross or Saint (12 October 1891 – 9 August 1942), was a German Jewish philosopher who converted to Christianity and became a Discalced Carmelite nun. She is canonized as a martyr and saint of the Catholic Church; she is also one of six patron saints of Europe.
In a meditation written in 1939 for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, a day on which Carmelite Nuns renew their vows, Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, the Carmelite Martyr wrote these timeless words:
The Saviour hangs before you with a pierced heart…Ave Crux, Spes Unica!
St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross Edith Stein
(Hail O Cross, Our only hope!). The world is in flames. The conflagration can also reach our house. But high above all flames towers the cross. They cannot consume it. It is the path from earth to heaven. It will lift one who embraces it in faith, love and hope into the bosom of the Trinity. The world is in flames. Are you impelled to put them out? Look at the Cross. From the open heart gushes the blood of the Saviour. This extinguishes the flames of hell…The eyes of the Crucified look down on you, asking, probing. Will you make your covenant with the Crucified anew in all seriousness? What will you answer Him? (Elevation of the Cross, September 14, 1939; In the Hidden Life, Collected Works of Edith Stein, Vol. 4).
What is our answer? “But far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Gal 6:14). Only if our faith is strong, only if our faith is authentically Eucharistic, will we be able to conquer and be victorious in our struggle with the world and the enemies of our faith.
Crucifixion Jesse Sandifer
Many, sadly, have fallen away and have turned from the Cross; and a cross-less Christianity is perhaps one of the subtlest temptations of the Antichrist. We know however, that salvation is ours only through the power of the Cross. Let us be generous in suffering with and for our Lord and live and love like Him. To Love the Crucified we endeavour to respond with a crucified love. There is no better way of being united to His redemptive work than to be mindful that the Mass is Calvary.
Every day the Divine Sacrifice of Calvary is re-presented in our midst. With our Lady of Sorrows at the foot of the Cross, we are present as Jesus perpetuates the redeeming efficacy of the Sacrifice of the Cross through the hands of the priest. Let us adore and venerate the Sacrament of the Cross, the Blessed Eucharist and let us ask our Lady to pray for us; that we may obtain the grace to persevere along the path of devout humility in the embrace of the Cross whose power to save excludes no one. “Let us then follow Christ’s paths which He has revealed to us, above all the path of humility, which He himself became for us” (St. Augustine, Sermon 23A, Liturgy of the Hours, Vol. IV, p. 189).
“And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name” (Philippians 2:8-9)
The 14th of September is the feast day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, formerly known as the Triumph of the Cross.
Savior Jesse Sandifer
Try to imagine the paradox: the cross, an instrument of extreme cruelty and disgrace, has become God’s instrument of triumph and glory. With the battle over sin and death accomplished, Jesus now sits exalted in glory at the right hand of the Father.
Because of Jesus’ submission to the will of the Father, even to the point of death, he has won the victory of all victories. His death put an end to death. His suffering has dispelled our darkness. By Jesus’ victory, God's plan is accomplished. Jesus’ last words from the cross – “It is finished” (John 19:30) – rang out as a proclamation that the old creation, grown weak and tired in sin, was ended. A new creation in his risen life was about to begin, and we are all heirs of that new creation – the people he won through his death on the cross.
We who have been “bitten” by the serpent and have the poison of sin in our veins are called to look with faith upon the crucified one and be healed (Numbers 21:4-9). We are invited to look at Jesus' wounds, to gaze at the blood flowing from his side, from his hands, his feet, and his head. Through these wounds, healing of infinite magnitude is granted to the human race.
If we want to know the healing power of the cross, we must first come to the end of our own resources and striving for perfection. The cross tells us we cannot rid ourselves of sin; we cannot make ourselves acceptable to God. It is only in dying to ourselves, in handing our lives to God in total trust and submission, that we will experience the healing of the cross. The promise is that if we die with him, we will live with him (2 Timothy 2:11-12).
We honor the cross. We honor the Father for sending his Son to us. We honor Jesus, whose blood has won eternal victory for us. We honor the Spirit, who enables us to receive the grace poured out for us on the cross. This feast day is indeed among the brightest days of all human history.
Points for Meditation:
The Resurrection Carl Heinrich Bloch, 1881
Think of a victory celebration in which you may have participated. Perhaps your favorite football team won the Super Bowl or your local candidate won an election. Think of the happiness you felt at that moment. How much more does God want us to cheer and praise our King for enduring the cross and freeing us from sin and death! In prayer today, be sure to praise God for what he has done for you in Christ.
Every day we face pressures and temptations that can raise doubts in our minds as to whether we really do share in Jesus' triumph over sin. Gaze upon a crucifix and affirm in your mind and heart the victory and power of the cross in your life. Pray the following Scripture verse: “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).
St. Paul tells us that Jesus “emptied himself” to become man and “humbled himself” to die on the cross (Philippians 2:6-7). If we are to share in the life of Christ, we must do the same so that we can also share in Christ's glory. Pray about what you need to “empty” in yourself – whether it be worldly desires, anger and resentment, or a hardened heart. Tell Jesus you want to share in his death so that you can know his resurrection.
Today, ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to see how you bring forth life from death and hope from suffering. He will help you to acknowledge your need for the healing power of the cross, and to trust in God's ability to bring you to victory over sin and death.
Taken from the article “Triumph of the Cross” from the websiteThe Word Among us.
This day is also called the Triumph of the Cross, Elevation of the Cross, Holy Cross Day, Holy Rood Day, or Roodmas.
The liturgy of the Cross is a triumphant liturgy. When Moses lifted up the bronze serpent over the people, it was a foreshadowing of the salvation through Jesus when He was lifted up on the Cross. Our Mother Church sings of the triumph of the Cross, the instrument of our redemption.
To follow Christ we must take up His cross, follow Him and become obedient until death, even if it means death on the cross. We identify with Christ on the Cross and become co-redeemers, sharing in His cross.
We make the Sign of the Cross before prayer which helps to fix our minds and hearts to God.
After prayer we make the Sign of the Cross to keep close to God.
During trials and temptations our strength and protection is the Sign of the Cross.
At Baptism we are sealed with the Sign of the Cross, signifying the fullness of redemption and that we belong to Christ.
Let us look to the cross frequently, and realize that when we make the Sign of the Cross we give our entire self to God — mind, soul, heart, body, will, thoughts.
O Cross, you are the glorious sign of victory. Through your power may we share in the triumph of Christ Jesus.
By the tree of knowledge we were made slaves and by the Holy Cross we have been set free. The fruit of the tree of knowledge ensnared us, but the Son of God redeemed us.
Passio verbigenae quae nostra redemptio Christi, nos ducit ad ummi tecta paterna poli Jan Sadeler (I), after Marcus Gheeraerts, 1560-1600
There are two hymns called Pange Lingua that we use in the Church’s Liturgy, one by St. Thomas Aquinas, and then this one, by Venantius Fortunatus (530-609) which extols the Triumph of the Cross. He wrote it for a procession that brought a part of the true Cross to Queen Radegunda in 570. This hymn is used on Good Friday during the Adoration of the Cross and in the Liturgy of the Hours during Holy Week and on feasts of the Cross. The concluding stanza was not written by Fortunatus, but was added later.
There is a charming ancient legend that is hinted at in the second verse of this hymn. According to this legend, the wood of the Cross upon which Christ was crucified was taken from that tree which was the source of the fruit of the fall in the Garden of Eden. When Adam died, the legend states, Seth obtained from the Cherubim guarding the Garden a branch of the tree from which Eve ate the forbidden fruit. Seth planted this branch at Golgotha (the place of the skull), which is so named because Adam was buried there. As time went on, the Ark of the Covenant, the pole upon which the bronze serpent was lifted, and other items were made from this tree.
Faithful cross above all others, One and only noble tree None in foliage, none in blossom None in fruit your like may be ♦ Gracious wood and gracious nails Gracious weight on you impaled
Sing my tongue, the Savior’s glory Tell his triumph far and wide Tell aloud the famous story Of his body crucified How upon the cross a victim Vanquishing in death, he died
Faithful cross…
Eating of the tree forbidden Man had sunk in Satan’s snare When his pitying Creator Did this second tree prepare Destined, many ages later That first evil to repair
Gracious wood…
Such the order God appointed When for sin he could atone To the serpent thus opposing Schemes yet deeper than his own Thence the remedy procuring Whence the fatal wound had come
Faithful Cross…
So when at length the fullness Of the sacred time drew nigh Then the Son who molded all things Left his Father’s throne on high From a Virgin’s womb appearing Clothed in our mortality
Gracious wood…
All within a lowly manger tender babe there he lies See his gentle Virgin-Mother Lull to sleep his infant cries While the limbs of God Incarnate Round with swathing-bands she ties
Faithful cross…
Thus did Christ to perfect manhood In our mortal flesh attain Then he goes with freedom’s choice To a death of bitter pain And as Lamb upon the altar Of the Cross for us is slain
Gracious wood…
Now with gall his thirst he quenches See the thorns upon his brow Nails his tender flesh are rending See, his side is opened now Whence to cleanse the whole creation Streams of blood and water flow
Faithful cross…
Lofty Tree, bend down your branches To embrace the sacred load Oh, relax the native tension Of that all too rigid wood Gently gently, bear the members Of your dying King and God
Gracious wood…
Tree which solely was found worthy Earth’s great victim to sustain Harbor from the raging tempest Ark that saved the world again Tree with sacred blood anointed Of the lamb for sinners slain
Faithful cross…
Honor, blessing everlasting To Immortal Deity To the Father, Son, and Spirit Praise be paid coequally; Glory through the earth and heaven To the One and Trinity
My good and dear Jesus, I kneel before you, asking you most earnestly to engrave upon my heart a deep and lively faith, hope, and charity, with true repentance for my sins, and a firm resolve to make amends. As I reflect upon your five wounds, and dwell upon them with deep compassion and grief, I recall, good Jesus, the words the prophet David spoke long ago concerning yourself: “They have pierced my hands and my feet; they have counted all my bones!” Amen.
Oh, Holy Cross of Jesus, be my true light!
Oh, Holy Cross, fill my soul with good thoughts.
Oh, Holy Cross, ward off from me all things that are evil.
Oh, Holy Cross, ward off from me all dangers and deaths and give me life everlasting!
Oh, Crucified Jesus of Nazareth, have mercy on me now and forever.
In honor of the Precious Blood of Jesus, his death, resurrection and ascension which leads to everlasting life; true as Jesus was born on Christmas Day; true as Jesus was crucified on Good Friday; true as Joseph and Nicodemus took Jesus down from the cross and buried Him; true as Jesus ascended into Heaven; may He preserve me from my enemies visible and invisible forever.
Oh, Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me! Mary and Joseph pray for me. Lord Jesus Christ, through Your suffering the Cross grant me strength to bear my Cross without fear or dread and give me the grace that I may follow You. Amen.
Cross in San Damiano Chapel in Assisi, Italy
Le Triomphe du Christianisme sur le paganisme
The Alexamenos Graffito
The Crucifixion
From Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Isenheim Altarpiece
The Crucifixion
St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
Crucifixion
Savior
The Resurrection
