Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Mass for the Baltimore Section
Order of the Holy Sepulchre, Mid-Atlantic Lieutenancy
Basilica of the Assumption, Crypt Church
September 14, 2024
The Jerusalem Cross
Emblazoned upon the members of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre is the Jerusalem Cross – the “five-fold cross” as it is called. As we know, it features a large, central cross and under and above which are nestled four smaller crosses. In the rich history of this symbol interpretations vary. Some say the central cross stands for the Cross of Christ while the smaller crosses represent the four evangelists. Others claim that the five crosses, taken together, represent the five wounds inflicted upon the Savior in his Passion and Death.
What we know for sure is that this Cross symbolizes Jerusalem and by extension, all the land which was made uniquely holy by the Life, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. What sadness we feel when we see how this land remains torn by conflict, violence, and untold suffering. It epitomizes the wounds that Jesus came to heal.
Nearly a year ago, in attacks coordinated by Hamas, many lost their lives and property and still others were taken hostage. Some of the hostages have since been killed while many others remain in captivity. As Israel strikes back, seeking to rid itself of Hamas, the violence escalates, and threatens to become a wider regional conflict with untold consequences. In the meantime, the plight of Palestinians, including Palestinian Christians, has been set in sharp relief. For them, life is never easy, poverty is rampant, their human rights curtailed. Many have departed, seeking a better life elsewhere. The Latin Patriarchate continues to serve this population heroically, while urging an end to terrorism, seeking the freedom for hostages, defending the rights of Palestinians, condemning antisemitism, and seeking to bring a swift and peaceful end to the conflict. I don’t think we can overestimate how difficult and delicate is the position that the Latin Patriarch, Cardinal Pizzaballa, finds himself in. Let us keep him and his co-workers in our prayers today.
The Role of the Order
The five-fold cross that we wear as members of the Order signals our historic and ongoing commitment to the Church in the Holy Land and to the overall welfare of a region that, for much of its history, has been torn by conflict and war. It is obvious that the mission of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre is more important, more critical than ever, both its spiritual mission and its mission to provide concrete assistance.
May we never let a day go by without praying for an end to the terrible conflict that is raging in Gaza, and for those who are its victims. And let us redouble our generosity in support of the Latin Patriarch, as we strive to help our brothers and sisters to remain in their homes and to have hope of better life.
Exaltation of the Holy Cross
The feast we celebrate today, the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, sheds light on the Cross that we wear and on the mission that is ours. For in this Feast, we celebrate God’s love, revealed age to age, in the history of the Chosen People, and in God’s immeasurable love in sending his Son to become one of us, so as to suffer, die, and rise for the salvation of all the world.
For many, the Cross is a symbol of cruelty. And indeed, the Cross of Christ reveals the depth of human sinfulness, including the capacity of human beings to inflict suffering on the innocent. The Cross is a lens through which we can see clearly the tragedy that is unfolding in Gaza and elsewhere in the world. It breaks through the illusion that we are self-sufficient, that left to our own devices, we will find a solution for age-old conflicts, that, unaided by grace, we can attain even a measure of justice and peace. For, as Jesus said, “Without me, you can do nothing!” Our mission of prayer and assistance to the Church in the Holy Land depends entirely on the Savior who revealed the Father’s merciful heart by identifying with every form of human suffering. The Lord opens our eyes and our hearts to human suffering and if we follow him, we become distributors of God’s manifold mercy.
So let us see the Cross, not as a symbol of cruelty but of hope. . . and not merely as a symbol but as the instrument or means by which God has chosen to bring to an end our enmity – to triumph, ultimately, over the forces of sin and evil and death. What St. Paul wrote so long ago remains true: For the world, the Cross is foolishness, but for us who believe the Cross manifests the wisdom and the power of God (Cf. 1 Cor 1:18 ff).
Encapsulated in the Eucharist
The hope that the Cross offers is renewed daily in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. Every Mass is a celebration of the Triumph of the Cross, the victory of the Paschal Mystery, the One Sacrifice by which we are saved. At every Mass, the triumphant Cross is made present again. This is how you and I share in the hope that is ours. In receiving the Body and Blood of Christ, we “digest” as it were, the secret, the mystery of the Lord’s triumph over sin and death. This is the unending source of our mission and this is the hope we proclaim in the symbol we wear – whether interpreted as Cross and Gospel or as the five wounds of the Savior.
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you! For by your Holy Cross, you have redeemed the world. Alleluia! Alleluia!