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The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, falls on 14th September. Exaltation means "lifting up". What we celebrate is the lifting up of Jesus on the wood of the cross for the salvation of all people, the event that took place on Good Friday on the hill of Calvary. The reason for keeping this feast in September commemorates the recovery of the true Cross at Jerusalem by the Roman Emperor Heraclius in 629AD, from the Persians into whose hands it had fallen in 614AD, and its solemn exposition in the city. The theme of Holy Cross Day (as the Book of Common Prayer calls it) is one of triumph and joy. It strikes a very different note from the commemoration on Good Friday, instead of pain and desolation, it is one of victory and triumph. As the hymn puts it "Lift high the Cross, the love of Christ proclaim till all the earth adore His sacred name." I have been a priest member of the Society of the Holy Cross (SSC) for over thirty years, and one of our aims is "the sanctification of its members through and in union with the mystery of the Holy Cross, for the greater glory of God, and for the sake of all men". We call it "digging a pit for the Cross". In every celebration of the Holy Eucharist, we celebrate the death of the Lord "until he comes again". We also celebrate the Resurrection, of course, Christ risen and glorified, but we exalt his cross, the symbol of triumph and victory, as we see high above the altar every time we enter St George's Church. In exalting the Holy Cross, we see in our own lives all those little crosses that we encounter in life. Look at the Cross and ask for the faith and courage, not just to bear the cross, but to exalt and glory in them, knowing that they unite us with our Saviour Jesus Christ in his death so that we can go on to share with him in his Resurrection. On a different note: thank you for all the letters and comments about my remarks in the summer issue of "dressing down" and wearing casual clothing in church instead of the traditional robes following a discussion in the General Synod. The absolutely unanimous decision of all who wrote or spoke to me is to keep the robes and vestments. I had every intention of doing so anyway! I will follow this up with some articles on the various robes we use in church and their meaning in future editions. With my prayers and blessing. Your priest and friend. MALCOLM FERRIER |
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page last updated 27 AUGUST 2002 |
