Exaltation of the Holy Cross!!!

We exalt in the cross of Christ because it has become for us the tree of life. Jesus took our sins, the guilt of all humanity and nailed them to the cross. As one commentary states, "The Cross of Jesus is the crowning sign of our redemption. It has become a universal symbol for the followers of Christ. The Cross is the altar on which Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for our sins" (Commentary and General Intercessions, 371). This feast reminds us how important the cross is in our lives and we realize that to get to the resurrection we need to go through the cross. Jesus invites us in the gospels to be his disciples and in order to do so we must deny our very selves, pick up our cross and follow in his footsteps. Even though we think our crosses might be great, there is one thing to always be mindful of, Jesus' cross is greater. Perhaps we can visualize in our minds and hearts Jesus walking ahead of us with his cross and he gives us the grace, strength, peace and patience that we need to carry ours. God also blesses us with people in our lives who help us to carry our cross! We carry our crosses together! At one time, the cross was a symbol of torture and shame! Now, it is the tree of life! Let us exalt because this is the feast that the Lord has made. Our salvation has been won for us and we can truly rejoice and be glad. Have a blessed day!!!