Ordinary Time: September 14th
Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Other Commemorations: St. Notburga, Virgin (RM); St. Maternus, Bishop (RM); St. Peter of Tarentaise, Bishop (RM)
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Entrance Antiphon, Cf. Gal 6:14:
We should glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom is our salvation, life and resurrection, through whom we are saved and delivered.
Gospel Verse:
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, because by your Cross you have redeemed the world.
Preface:
It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks,
Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God.For you placed the salvation of the human race
on the wood of the Cross,
so that, where death arose,
life might again spring forth
and the evil one, who conquered on a tree,
might likewise on a tree be conquered,
through Christ our Lord.Through him the Angels praise your majesty,
Dominions adore and Powers tremble before you.
Heaven and Virtues of heaven and the blessed Seraphim
worship together with exultation.
May our voices, we pray, join with theirs in humble praise, as we acclaim:
Communion Antiphon, Jn 12:32:
When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself, says the Lord.
This Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross was observed in Rome before the end of the seventh century. It commemorates the recovery of the Holy Cross, which had been placed on Mount Calvary by St. Helena and preserved in Jerusalem, but then had fallen into the hands of Chosroas, King of the Persians. The precious relic was recovered and returned to Jerusalem by Emperor Heralius in 629.
The Golden Legend describes Emperor Heraclius carrying the Cross back to Jerusalem on his shoulders. He was clothed with costly garments and with ornaments of precious stones. But at the entrance to Mt. Calvary a strange incident occurred. Try as hard as he would, he could not go forward. Zacharias, the Bishop of Jerusalem, then said to the astonished monarch: "Consider, O Emperor, that with these triumphal ornaments you are far from resembling Jesus carrying His Cross." The Emperor then put on a penitential garb and continued the journey.The Roman Martyrology also commemorates:—St. Notburga (1265-1313), a peasant who lived in the Tyrol, Austria and worked as a housemaid and servant. —St. Maternus (d. 325), Bishop of Cologne, Germany. He fought against the Donatist heresy.—St. Peter of Tarentaise (1102-1174), who joined the Cistercian monastery in Bonneveaux, France at age 20. Later he became the abbot of Tamie Abbey in the Tarentaise Mountains. He reluctantly accepted the appointment of archbishop of Tarentaise in 1142, replacing a very corrupt bishop. Peter reformed his archdiocese, replaced corrupt clergy, and ministered to the poor. After around 10 years as archbishop, Peter "fell off the radar." When he was located, he was living simply as a lay brother in a Cistercian abbey in Switzerland. He returned to his duties as archbishop and once again began to assist the poor.
Exaltation of the Holy CrossThis day is also called the Triumph of the Cross, Elevation of the Cross, Holy Cross Day, Holy Rood Day, or Roodmas. The liturgy of the Cross is a triumphant liturgy. When Moses lifted up the bronze serpent over the people, it was a foreshadowing of the salvation through Jesus when He was lifted up on the Cross. Our Mother Church sings of the triumph of the Cross, the instrument of our redemption. To follow Christ we must take up His cross, follow Him and become obedient until death, even if it means death on the cross. We identify with Christ on the Cross and become co-redeemers, sharing in His cross.
O cross, you are the glorious sign of victory.
Through your power may we share in the triumph of Christ Jesus.
Symbol: The cross of triumph is usually pictured as a globe with the cross on top, symbolic of the triumph of our Savior over the sin of the world, and world conquest of His Gospel through the means of a grace (cross and orb).
The Wednesday, Friday and Saturday following September 14 marks the Autumn Ember Days of the Church. See Ember Days for more information.Things to Do:- Study different symbols and types of crosses, history and/or significance. Then have an art project—creating one's own crosses, using different media.
- Learn and pray the prayer to Christ Crucified; pray the Stations of the Cross. Point out particularly the phrase repeated at each station:
We adore You, O Christ, and praise You,
Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world. - Study the history of St. Helena and Constantine, especially St. Helena’s quest for finding the relics of Jesus.
- Make sure that crucifixes are displayed prominently throughout your home. Point out the crucifix in every room even to the smallest ones. Your child's first word may be "Jesus"!
- Explain the meaning of the Sign of the Cross to your children and be sure that even the little ones are taught how to make it.
- Encourage your children to make reparation for sin; read about sacramentals.
- Teach your children a short ejaculatory prayer such as "Through the sign of the Cross deliver us from our enemies, O our God!".
- Make a dessert in the form of a cross, or decorated with a cross. Although usually made on Good Friday, Hot Cross Buns would be appropriate for this day. Make a cross cake, either using a cross form cake pan, or bake a sheet cake (recipe of choice). Once cool, cut the cake in half, lengthways. Then cut one of these sections in half width ways. This makes three sections—one long and two short. Lay the long section onto a serving plate. Set the two small sections next to the long section forming a cross. Frost and decorate as desired.
- Tradition holds that sweet basil grew over the hill where St. Helena found the Holy Cross, so in Greece the faithful are given sprigs of basil by the priest. Cook a basil pesto, tomato basil salad (with the last of the summer tomatoes) or some other type of recipe that includes basil, and explain to the family.
- More Ideas: Women for Faith and Family and Catholic Encyclopedia.
- Folklore has that the weather on the Ember Days of this month (September 21, 23, and 24) will foretell the weather for three successive months. So Wednesday, September 21, will forecast the weather for October; Friday, September 23, for November; and Saturday, September 24, for December.
- Watch this short video on the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
- Visit these sites for more information regarding this feast day:
St. Notburga St. Zita of Lucca, Italy, is the best-known patron of domestic servants. A less-known contemporary of Zita's was St. Notburga of Austria, who is venerated in the Austrian Tyrol, Bavaria, Istria, Croatia and Slovenia. Many a church in these lands bears her name.
- Read more about St. Notburga here.
- Read a little about the beautiful area of Tyrol in Austria where St. Notburga lived. See also the pilgrimage church of St. Notburga. This church has been built on the grounds of a Roman church and contains frescoes illustrating scenes of the life of the Saint Notburga. Also, her mortal remains are treasured in a shrine at the altar. There is also a museum dedicated to her.
- See this this page for a biography and images of Notburga.
- Read a translation of Pope Francis' Message on the 700 year Anniversary of the Death of Saint Notburga.
St. MaternusFirst known bishop of Cologne, in modern Germany. He was involved in the effort against the Donatist heretics and was asked by Emperor Constantine to hear charges against the Donatists in 313.
- Read more about St. Maternus here.
- Read about St. Maternus at AnaStPaul.
- The Cologne Cathedral dates back to the original foundations by St. Maternus, the first bishop of Cologne.
Saint Peter of Tarentaise O.Cist Peter was born near Vienne, France in 1102 and died at Bellevaux, France in 1175. He was canonized in 1191.
- Read more about St. Peter of Tarentaise here.
- See Independent Catholic News and CatholicSaints.info for more information.