Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross ~ II Classis
The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is not merely a commemoration of the finding of the True Cross by St. Helena, nor only a celebration of its triumphant restoration to Jerusalem by Emperor Heraclius. It is above all a liturgical exaltation—a spiritual lifting up—of the saving wood upon which hung our salvation. The Church, in her wisdom, places before us on this feast two profound scriptural readings: Philippians 2:5–11 and John 12:31–36, passages that unlock the mystery of the Cross, not as scandal or folly, but as the throne of divine glory.
Let us enter into a deeper contemplation of these passages through the lens of the Church Fathers and the radiant light of Tradition.
“He humbled Himself…” — Philippians 2:5–11
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus…” (Phil 2:5)
St. Paul opens with a summons to interior imitation: the mind of Christ—His humility, His obedience, His self-emptying (kenosis). He who is by nature God did not cling to equality with the Father, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant. He stooped so low as to embrace death—and not just any death, but death on a cross.
St. Gregory Nazianzen marvels at this paradox:
“He was lifted up upon the wood and nailed to it—for it was fitting that the Lamb be suspended, that He might draw the gaze of all creation. The cross was His pulpit, the nails His stylus, and His blood the ink by which He wrote forgiveness upon the world.” (Oratio 45, On Holy Pascha)
And this abasement is not the end, but the path to exaltation:
“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him…” (Phil 2:9)
As St. Leo the Great teaches in his sermons on the Passion, Christ’s exaltation is inseparable from His humiliation:
“The glory of the Cross was ever shining, even in the deepest shadows of suffering. There, majesty and lowliness were united; victory was achieved by apparent defeat.” (Sermon 55, On the Passion)
The exaltation is not merely Christ returning to His prior glory; it is a new glorification of His humanity. Now the name of Jesus, once ridiculed, is proclaimed with reverence, and the Cross, once a curse, becomes a standard of salvation.
“When I am lifted up…” — John 12:31–36
“Now is the judgment of the world; now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to Myself.” (John 12:31-32)
Here Our Lord speaks prophetically of His Passion. To the world, the crucifixion appears to be a defeat—but Christ reveals it to be a cosmic judgment. The Cross is the courtroom of the world: Satan is cast down, and the mercy of God is enthroned.
St. John Chrysostom notes the divine irony:
“The devil caught a body, and met God; he took earth, and encountered heaven; he seized what he saw, and fell by what he did not see.” (Hom. 1 on the Ascension)
The “lifting up” of Christ is multilayered. It is literal, as He is physically raised upon the wood. It is symbolic, as He is elevated before the eyes of all creation as a spectacle of mercy. And it is eschatological, as from the Cross, Christ begins to draw all things toward their end in Him.
The Lord continues:
“Walk while you have the light… believe in the light, that you may be the children of light.” (John 12:35-36)
The light shines most fully from the Cross. The darkness of Good Friday is not the triumph of evil, but the veiling of a deeper radiance. As St. Ephrem the Syrian wrote:
“The sun hid its face, not in sorrow, but in awe; creation trembled, not in fear, but in adoration of its Creator stretched upon the wood.” (Hymns on the Crucifixion)
The Cross: Throne, Altar, and School
The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is the Church’s annual call to contemplate the Cross not merely as an event in the past, but as the center of time and eternity. It is the throne from which Christ reigns, the altar on which He offers the perfect sacrifice, and the school in which the saints are formed.
St. Andrew of Crete exhorts:
“Let us then take up the Cross willingly and lovingly; for the one who shares in His sufferings shall also share in His glory. The Cross is the ladder to heaven, the key to Paradise, and the anchor of the soul.” (Homily on the Exaltation of the Cross)
Practical Devotion: Embracing the Cross
- Pray the Litany of the Holy Cross, venerating the instrument of our redemption.
- Make a spiritual pilgrimage by meditating slowly on the Stations of the Cross, even outside of Lent.
- Engrave the Cross upon your heart by making the Sign of the Cross with attention and reverence throughout the day.
- Carry your daily crosses—small sufferings, contradictions, sacrifices—as tokens of union with Christ crucified.
Conclusion
On this feast, as we lift high the Cross, let us not merely gaze upon it as spectators, but cling to it as disciples and lovers of the Crucified. Let the Cross be our boast, our strength, our standard, and our salvation. For in the folly of the Cross is hidden the wisdom of God; in its shame, everlasting glory; in its wounds, our healing.
As we chant in the hymn of the Vexilla Regis:
“O Crux ave, spes unica!”
Hail, O Cross, our only hope!