By His Cross, Christ Redeemed the World
This month, the Church will celebrate the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 14.
Images and symbols of the cross are easily found today, from jewelry, to artwork, to cemetery monuments, and more. Because we’re familiar with them, we might not consider very deeply what they represent. But the next time we see one, we would do well to take a moment and reflect on the profound meaning. On the cross, Christ turned a device of death into an instrument for our salvation. In St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, the apostle describes the astonishing nature of this: “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1:18). Without Christ’s death on the cross, there could have been no resurrection!
As a result, celebrating the Exaltation of the Holy Cross draws us into the mystery of the Lord’s great love for us in His saving work. We consider the suffering He endured for our sake, and the gift of eternal life which He won for us.
At Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, our ministry proclaims the hope of eternal life beyond earthly death. It is fitting, then, that one of our cemetery locations is named for the Holy Cross. We invite you to consider a pilgrimage to Holy Cross Cemetery, or any of our locations, to pray for the faithful departed and to reflect on the love Christ shows us.
As we pray in the Stations of the Cross, “We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, because by your Cross you have redeemed the world.”
