Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Lifted Up, That We Might Live
There is a strange paradox in Sunday’s readings:
life comes through what seems like death, healing comes through what seems like harm, and salvation comes through a Cross. In Numbers, the Israelites are bitten by serpents—symbols of sin, rebellion, and the consequences of turning from God. Yet God’s remedy is not destruction, but the lifting of a bronze serpent on a pole. (hello the symbol of medical professionals throughout the ages) Those who looked in faith were healed. The image is vivid, even unsettling: the object that killed becomes the object that saves.
Saint Augustine reflected on this paradox in his Expositions on the Psalms, noting that the Cross itself “is the healing of our wounds, the cure of our wounds inflicted by sin.” It is a pattern repeated throughout salvation history: God takes what humanity turns into a stumbling block and transforms it into the instrument of life. The psalmist echoes this rhythm: God’s mercy endures even when our hearts are unfaithful, and the Lord’s forgiveness turns away wrath without diminishing justice.
Paul’s letter to the Philippians brings this mystery into the life of Christ. Jesus, though God, emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, obedient to the point of death on a cross. The humiliation of the Cross becomes the very avenue of exaltation. As Pope Benedict XVI reflected in Jesus of Nazareth, the Cross is not only a testament to suffering, but also a revelation of God’s deepest love—a love that redeems even what is most broken and lifts even the lowliest of hearts into glory.
For ministers of sacred music, this feast invites a parallel reflection. Music in the Liturgy often carries weight and burden: rehearsals are long, voices falter, congregations may seem distant. Yet like the bronze serpent or the Cross, these instruments, voices, and notes are lifted as offerings. When music is offered in humility and fidelity, it becomes more than performance—it becomes a visible and audible sign of God’s mercy and healing. St. Hildegard of Bingen, whose liturgical compositions aimed to lift the soul toward God, reminds us that music can incarnate the paradox of the Cross: beauty in surrender, strength in vulnerability, life in what seems like death.
John’s Gospel makes the connection explicit: “As Moses lifted up the serpent…so must the Son of Man be lifted up.” Every note, every chant, every hymn in your ministry can participate in this lifting-up. When a choir sings in harmony, when a psalm rises from the assembly, when the organ supports a fragile voice, the Cross is being lifted into the midst of the people. Music becomes a bridge between human frailty and divine life, a sign that even our limitations and struggles are transformed when offered to God.
Perhaps this is the invitation of today’s feast: to see every effort, every moment of ministry, every labor of love as an opportunity to participate in the paradox of the Cross. Lifted up, it saves; offered with faith, it heals; embraced with humility, it glorifies. The Cross is not merely an artifact of history—it is a living, resounding presence in every act of worship, in every song raised to God. And in lifting it, we ourselves are lifted.
Inspiration from across the internet.
→ the science behind the discovery of the ice ages is quite interesting
→ if you have been to Mesa Verde, then I think you will enjoy this exploration
My music of the week.
1) feel free to listen to this playlist of some of the great works of St. Hildegard von Bingen
2) this version of Psalm 150 I found today, and I think that I will be sharing it quite a bit!
General Information
Color of Vestments - Red
Song Recommendations
Entrance - Lift High the Cross (CRUCIFIER) [sheet music] [audio]
Kyrie - Missa Spei
Gloria - Missa Spei
Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 78:1bc-2, 34-35, 36-37, 38
Gospel Acclamation - We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you,
because by your Cross you have redeemed the world.Offertory - Glory in the Cross (D. Schutte) [sheet music] [audio]
Sanctus - Missa Spei
Mysterium Fidei - Missa Spei
Amen - Missa Spei
Agnus Dei - Missa Spei
Communion - At That First Eucharist (UNDE ET MEMORES) [sheet music] [audio]
Meditation - The Son of Man (Madrigal)
Recessional - At the Name of Jesus (KING’S WESTON) [sheet music] [audio]
