The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

September 15, 2025:

The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, celebrated on September 14, invites Christians to honor the Cross of Christ—the instrument of salvation. It recalls both the finding of the True Cross by St. Helena in the 4th century and the triumph of the Cross as a symbol of hope, victory, and redemption. More than a reminder of suffering, the Cross is exalted as the tree of life, a sign of God’s love, and the source of salvation for the world.

Exalt, O Earth, the Holy Cross

Upon a barren hill of pain,

Where justice mocked and sin was slain,

The Son of Man, in love’s embrace,

Bore curse and shame to grant us grace.

The wood once feared as death’s grim throne,

Is now the Tree where life is sown;

For as the serpent, raised on high,

Brought healing to the stricken nigh,

So Christ was lifted, pierced and torn,

That all who gaze may be reborn.

“Behold the Lamb!” the Scriptures sing,

Whose blood redeems, whose wounds now spring.

O Cross! You stretch from earth to skies,

A ladder where our hopes arise;

The tree of Eden lost its bloom,

But you became the garden’s womb.

In you the nations find their peace,

The wars of hatred find release;

For every tribe, for slave and free,

You stand, O Cross, our victory.

When Constantine beheld the sign,

A flaming Cross in light divine,

The empire bowed, the pagans fled,

And Christ was crowned their Lord instead.

Then Helena, with mother’s care,

Sought Calvary’s lost treasure rare;

And lo! beneath the stones she found

The saving wood, the hallowed ground.

The sick were touched, the dying healed,

The mystery of Christ revealed;

The Cross was raised, the people prayed,

And Heaven’s power on earth displayed.

Yet once again, the foe profaned,

The relic seized, the city chained;

Till penitence and royal tears

Restored the Cross through bitter years.

Exalted now in every land,

It shines where faithful hearts still stand;

From East to West the hymns resound,

Where once was death, is glory crowned.

O Christ, who stooped to take our place,

Obedient, lowly, clothed in grace,

The Father lifts You high above,

Bestowing name and endless love.

The Cross, your throne, your scepter true,

Reveals the King who makes all new;

And from its shade, as rivers flow,

The healing streams of mercy go.

Behold! In John’s apocalyptic sight,

The Tree of Life, with leaves of light,

Shines forth within the Lamb’s own town,

Where saints with golden crowns bow down.

So let us glory, never cease,

To preach the Cross, the Prince of Peace;

For in this sign all hope is given,

A bridge of earth, a gate of heaven.

Lift high the Cross! Let nations see,

The love that conquered Calvary;

Exalt the Wood, proclaim its worth—

The sign of Christ for all the earth.

By Fr. Ritchie Vincent

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