THE LIFTING UP OF THE BRONZE SERPENT AND THE LIFTING UP OF CHRIST

Two times in a year, the Church celebrates the Holy Cross of Jesus Christ, that is, on Good Friday and 14th September, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. We celebrate the Holy Cross this day for three motives:

1. The finding of the true Cross by St. Helena, the mother of Constantine who was inspired to travel to Jerusalem in 326 to find the True Cross where Jesus was crucified (She found three and together with St. Macarius, the bishop of Jerusalem, they carried out an experiment to know which is the True Cross by taking it to a sick woman near death and when she touched the cross, she was healed). This discovery made a deep impression on Christians and led to honoring the cross in a special way.

2. This Feast is also celebrated this day because on this day, 14th September, in the year 335 a.D, the Church in Jerusalem dedicated a new church built on the site of the Holy Sepulcher and Mount Calvary constructed by Constantine. That is, the site where Jesus died and rose from the dead. The Church was built to honour His crucifixion and resurrection.

3. The third motive is the restoration of the True Cross to Jerusalem by Heraclius II in the seventh century after Persians conquered Jerusalem.

Today we celebrate the true cross of Christ, through which He defeated death and gave birth to life for all who believe in Him. On the Cross, He took on the sufferings we deserved and offered His life for us. The readings of today are closely connected to the cross when it says, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up” (Jn 3:15). This very verse is a bridge between the first reading and the gospel, as Moses foreshadows the death of Jesus bringing salvation to humanity. Both the “lifted up” serpent and the “lifted up” Jesus confer new life on those who believe in them.

In the parallels between Moses’ story and Jesus’ story, the people were in danger because of their sins. God provided the agent of salvation, which is the bronze Serpent in the first story, and the Son of Man in the second story. The people were saved by looking at or believing God’s agent of salvation. Looking at the “lifted up” bronze snake gave the Israelites extended physical life, and looking upon the “lifted up” Jesus who died on the cross gives us eternal life. His “lifted up” also infers His resurrection, ascension and glorification, which in a way, stands as a bridge to the second reading.

St. Paul presents to us the Christological hymn, in which Christ’s obedience to death on a Cross reveals the path to exaltation. His humility leads to glory, and his sacrifice brings salvation. Hence, as Catholics, we should be proud of the Cross. We are not and should not be ashamed to venerate the Cross when we pray. We should be proud to have crosses in our homes and churches, and make the sign of the Cross even in public places. Each time we look at the cross, it reminds us of the greatest sacrifice paid for our sins and the expression of God’s love to us.

Whoever believes in Him must be ready to pick his/her cross and follow Him. We too must be ready to carry our crosses, be it in persons or situations that makes life difficult for us. The Cross is a sign of hope as Christ turned suffering and death into victory and life. Through the Holy Cross, God can bring good out of any situation. We pray that through the Cross, may Christ transform our sorrows to joy: in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Happy Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross!

Fr. Ken Dogbo, OSJ