14 September 2025 - Feast of the Glorious Cross
Num 21:4-9; Phil 2:6-11; Jn 3:13-17
Homily
Our missals tend to call today's feast the ‘Feast of the Glorious Cross’. This is undoubtedly a very beautiful expression, but the traditional name for this feast, which is a literal translation of the Greek name, is ‘ Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross ’. The word ‘exaltation’ is admirably ambiguous. It can refer to the movement of raising the cross on which a condemned man is standing (in the very act of crucifixion), or it can refer to the movement of raising the cross high, as a sign of triumph, to give glory to God.