The Holy Cross: Our Hope and Salvation

The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, celebrated every year on September 14, invites Christians to reflect on the central role of the Cross in the story of Jesus Christ. While Good Friday recalls Christ’s suffering and death, this feast draws attention to the Cross itself as a powerful sign of God’s love, salvation and hope. The origins of the celebration go back to the fourth century. In 335 AD, the Constantinian Basilica, built near the site of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, was consecrated. The following day, September 14, a relic believed to be part of the True Cross was presented publicly for Christian veneration. According to Christian tradition, the relic had been discovered by St. Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great, during her pilgrimage to the Holy Land around 326–328 AD. Centuries later, the relic became connected with another important moment in Christian history. In 628 AD, Byzantine Emperor Heraclius recovered the Cross after it had been taken to Persia during the Sasanian conquest of Jerusalem in 614 AD. The feast continues to commemorate these events while directing believers toward the deeper meaning of Christ’s sacrifice. Pope Francis explained that Christians do not honor every cross simply as an object. Rather, they exalt the Cross of Jesus because it represents the love God revealed through Christ’s sacrifice. In his reflection for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in 2014, he connected the Cross with the Gospel message that God gave his Son for the salvation of humanity. For Christians, the Cross carries a meaning that goes beyond suffering and death. What appeared to be defeat became, through Christ’s Resurrection, a sign of victory over evil and death. It therefore represents God’s mercy, love and the promise of new life. The Cross also remains a visible expression of Christian hope. Through it, believers remember Christ’s sacrifice and the salvation offered through him. This is why Christians make the sign of the Cross in prayer and worship. The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross ultimately calls Christians to look beyond the suffering represented by the Cross and recognize its message of love, redemption, victory and hope. For the Christian faith, the Cross points toward the Resurrection and remains a lasting symbol of God’s saving love.