Catholic Activity: Homemade Cross for Holy Cross Day

The Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, September 14, is a lovely feastday to thank God for the blessing of Christ dying on the Cross, which opened the gates of heaven for mankind. All Catholic homes should have crucifixes, but here is a suggestion on making a homemade cross and incorporating the family in the project.

DIRECTIONS

September 14th commemorates the finding of the Cross by St. Helena, and it marks the beginning of Advent in many monastic orders. In most homes there will be a cross or crucifix, but in many cases it is hardly noticed because of its very familiarity. This day might be an occasion when someone in the family undertook to make a new wooden cross and to set it up either indoors or in the garden. If in the garden, the cross could well be a large one. This does not call for much technical skill, and rough workmanship does not matter. At all events the cross could be set up and small slats of wood bearing the names of each member of the family could be nailed across its vertical bar. Someone might explain in a few words this significance of one's own name being thus placed on Christ's cross. Then the story of the appearance of the cross in the sky shortly before Constantine won the battle of the Milvian bridge could also be re-told, with special stress laid on the words that were written in fire round that cross: "In this sign thou shalt conquer!" The cross could remain until after the day of our Lady's Seven Sorrows [September 15].

Activity Source: Candle is Lighted, A by P. Stewart Craig, The Grail, Field End House, Eastcote, Middlesex, 1945