Today
we celebrate the exaltation and the triumph of the Holy Cross. Strange, why do
we celebrate an object, a symbol? Symbols remind people of what is and what
should be. It reminds us of who we are and where we are destined to. But most
of all symbols are important for us because we find meaning in it. Take for
example the Canadian flag- it is a symbol. For a non-Canadian, it may be just a
piece of cloth… But for us here in Canada, we honor this flag, we respect it,
because for us it has meaning, it signifies something sacred- the land, the
people.
In the upcoming movie “Tusk”… There’s this American guy named
Wallace who is crossing the border to go to Manitoba. The Canadian Immigration Officer asks him if
he likes hockey. Wallace replies: "If I say I don’t like hockey, will it make
you Canadians sad?"
The Officer remarked: Canadians don't get sad. Sadness was invented by the USA. Wallace asks: “How’s that?” The Officer points to the
Canadian flag and says: See that flag … what do you see beyond it? Wallace: "A white wall? (He could not see the
meaning behind the symbol)". The Officer
remarks: You see that in America; you may be red,
white and blue. But in Canada you're red, white, but never blue, eh, ever.
Now
for us Christians our flag is the Holy Cross of Jesus. Many people could not
see anything behind this symbol but for us, it is the symbol of our salvation.
In
the Old Testament today, the people of Israel were losing their faith in God,
and poisonous snakes began to appear and attacked them. All who were bitten
died. Then God commanded Moses to fix a
bronze serpent on a pole and then raise it up for all to see. And all those who looked and gazed upon this
symbol, even if they would be bitten by the poisonous snakes would live and not
die.
This
event foreshadows what happens in the New Testament which says God loved the
world so much that He sent his only begotten Son to be sacrificed and lifted
high on the cross for all to see… and all who believe will be saved. That Cross
on which Jesus hung is the instrument of our salvation. And this cross we are
proud of and today we celebrate it. But the story does not stop there.
When
the Body of Jesus was removed from it, to prevent His followers from finding
it, the Cross was thrown in a ditch or well, and then covered with stones and
earth. In 312 A.D., while Constantine,
who had not yet converted to Christianity, was in combat with Maxentius for the
throne of the Roman Empire, he prayed to the Lord God of the Christians to help
him in his battle. In answer to his prayer, a sign appeared in the sky. A
luminous cross was seen with the words “In
hoc signo vinces” (By this sign you will conquer) inscribed on it.
Following
this, Constantine won the battle over Maxentius. Indebted to God for his
victory at the Milvian Bridge on October 28, 312, Constantine commanded that
the sign of Christianity be placed on the Roman standards and on the shields of
all the soldiers.
And according
to St John Chrysostom, Constantine's mother, St Helena, longed to
find the cross of Christ. For this reason she travelled to Jerusalem where she
organized a dig at the hill of Calvary. The diggers uncovered three wooden
crosses. They could not tell which was the cross of Jesus and which were the
crosses of the two thieves crucified with him. Finally they brought a sick
woman and a dead man who was being carried to burial. One after the other, the
three crosses were made to touch the sick woman and the dead man. Two of the
crosses had no effect, but on contact with the third cross, the sick woman was
healed and the dead man came to life. They have found the holy cross.
News
of the finding of the true cross quickly spread and believers gathered to see
the true cross and to venerate it. The Patriarch of Jerusalem, Makarios,
standing on a raised platform, lifted high the cross, "exalting" it,
for all to see. The people fell to their knees, bowing down before the cross
and crying out repeatedly: "Lord, have mercy!" St Helena then
commissioned a church to be built over the site. The church of the Holy
Sepulchre was consecrated on September 13, 335. The feast of the finding and
exaltation of the Cross was appointed to be celebrated annually on the
following day. The basilica of the Holy Sepulchre is today regarded as the
holiest spot on earth by Christians of all denominations.
To
the world the cross looks like hardship and pain, but to those of us who
believe, it is a fortress against the night and an oasis against the heat. All
of the world’s wisdom has stood in opposition to the cross, and yet here we
are. All of the world’s wisdom sees the cross as a sign of defeat and failure,
and yet here are. All of the world’s wisdom tells us that the cross is not the
way, that we must be strong and independent, and yet here we are, bending down,
as it were, to kiss the holy cross.
Do
not think, my brothers and sisters, that the world can be right. If you believe
that acceptance of the cross or the practice of humility is a sign of weakness
and failure, then you do not know the truth. For only cowards rely on brute
strength, and only weaklings prey on the vulnerable. The cross is the very
fulcrum which has turned the world upside down – where once there was evil
sitting on the throne, now there is love.
That
is what we come here to remember. For we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a
scandal and to Gentiles foolishness but God’s foolishness is wiser than any
human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than any human strength and so,
for us who believe, Jews and Gentiles alike, the cross of Christ is nothing
less than the power, the wisdom and the glory of God.
So
what color is the cross, then (disclaimer, I'm color-blind, so I'm not infallible when it comes to color)? For me, it’s like the Canadian flag. It’s always red, for the true cross is
soaked by the blood of Christ poured out for love of us. It is always white, for the true cross asks
us to carry it with purity of heart to realize the brightness of Christ’s
resurrection. It is never blue, for
in spite of the sacrifice behind the symbol is the joy and the hope which brings
true happiness. The Cross of Christ- always red, always white, and never blue.
References:
AMC independent. (2014) "Tusk- Exclusive Clib - Canado's and Canadon'ts" Youtube.
Ezeogu,
M. (2014) “Light a Candle”- website. http://munachi.com/z/exaltationofthecross.htm
Zehnie,
D. (2008) Servant and Steward – website.
Adapted from the homily of St. Peter Damian
on the occasion of the Solemnity of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and of a
homily of the Rev. Michael Fuller, adapted from the same homily of St. Peter
Damian. Both in C. Colt Anderson, Christian Eloquence: Contemporary Doctrinal
Preaching (Chicago, Illinois: Hillenbrand Books, 2005)