Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
The Cross Brings Life
Liturgical Cycle: A, B, C | Lectionary Cycle: I, II
Introduction
Greeting
Introduction by the Celebrant
Penitential Act
Opening Prayer
First Reading
Saved by Faith in the Sign of Salvation: Tired and discouraged from their long journey and stay in the desert, the Hebrews lost faith in God and began to revolt. God punished them, but saved those who looked up in faith to a sign of salvation.
Snakes
From Mount Hor, they set out by the Red Sea road to go around the land of Edom. The people were discouraged by the journey
and began to complain against God and Moses:
“Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is neither bread nor water here, and we are disgusted with this tasteless manna.”
The Lord then sent fiery serpents against them. They bit the people, and many of the Israelites died.
Then the people came to Moses and said:
“We have sinned, speaking against the Lord and you. Plead with the Lord to take the serpents away.”
Moses pleaded for the people,
and the Lord said:
“Make a fiery serpent and set it on a standard; whoever has been bitten and then looks at it shall live.”
So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. Whenever a man was bitten, he looked towards the bronze serpent and lived.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 78:1bc-2, 34-35, 36-37, 38
R. (see 7b) Do not forget the works of the Lord!
Hearken, my people, to my teaching;
incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth in a parable,
I will utter mysteries from of old.
R. Do not forget the works of the Lord!
While he slew them they sought him
and inquired after God again,
Remembering that God was their rock
and the Most High God, their redeemer.
R. Do not forget the works of the Lord!
But they flattered him with their mouths
and lied to him with their tongues,
Though their hearts were not steadfast toward him,
nor were they faithful to his covenant.
R. Do not forget the works of the Lord!
But he, being merciful, forgave their sin
and destroyed them not;
Often he turned back his anger
and let none of his wrath be roused.
R. Do not forget the works of the Lord!
Second Reading
The Humiliated Christ is Glorified: Jesus, God’s Son, humbled himself by becoming someone like us and even more so by dying for us on the cross. This is why he is now our glorious Lord.
Though he was in the form of God,
he did not consider equality with God
something to be grasped.
Instead, he emptied himself
by taking on the nature of a servant,
made in human likeness,
and appeared as a man,
He humbled himself
by obediently facing death
—death on the cross.
That is why God exalted him
and gave him the name
above all names,
so that at the name of Jesus, all knees should bow
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Alleluia Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you,
because by your Cross you have redeemed the world.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Jesus’ Saving Death Gives Life: Because he loved us, God sent his Son into the world as man. By his death, Jesus brought us forgiveness and life.
No one has ever gone up to heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.
Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.
Prayers of the Faithful
God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son to save us and bring us life by his death and resurrection. Let us pray to Jesus for all who suffer and let us say: R/ Lord, save us by your cross.
– For those whose life lacks direction, that they may discover Christ the way, let us pray: R/ Lord, save us by your cross.
– For those whose ideals have faded, that they may see and accept the lasting novelty of life and constantly renew themselves, let us pray: R/ Lord, save us by your cross.
– For the perennial losers of their personal struggles against the forces of evil, that they may trust in Christ, whose grace is mightier than sin and death, let us pray: R/ Lord, save us by your cross.
– For those who are lonely, deserted, or shut up within themselves, that they may accept the companionship of Christ and through him open themselves to others, let us pray: R/ Lord, save us by your cross.
– For all of us, that we may learn from our Lord himself to bear our crosses in patience and humility, that in some way they may bring life to us and to whoever is tired and discouraged, let us pray: R/ Lord, save us by your cross.
– For this community, that with Jesus our Saviour it may be poor and serving and open to all people and all needs, let us pray: R/ Lord, save us by your cross.
Lord Jesus Christ, your cross remains a mystery to us, as does all pain and want. Yet we rely on your word and example that the cross is a way to joy and freedom. Turn our crosses into bearers of happiness and life, now and forever. R/ Amen.
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord God, with this bread and this wine
we celebrate the saving death of your Son.
In moments when suffering strikes
and when we find it hard to bear,
give us the strength, Lord God,
not to murmur and to contest
but to accept that it is your way to glory,
even if we do not understand fully.
We ask you for this courage
through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer
Remember that in this and every Eucharist we celebrate the sacrifice of the cross by which Jesus brought us forgiveness and life. Let us thank the Father for it and offer ourselves with Jesus our Lord, that we may overcome evil with him.
Introduction to the Lord’s Prayer
Grateful for his saving love,
we pray to our Father in heaven
in the words of Jesus, our Saviour: R/ Our Father...
Deliver Us
Deliver us, Lord, from every evil
and forgive us the sins
that caused your Son’s death on the cross.
Help us to join our crosses to his;
give us courage and patience in life,
as we wait in joyful hope for the coming in glory
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom…
Invitation to Communion
This is the Lamb of God
who died on the cross
to take our sins away.
Happy are we to be invited
to eat his bread of strength. R/ Lord, 1 am not worthy...
Prayer after Communion
God, our Lord and Father,
we know that you have made us
for joy and happiness,
yet humiliation and death was the price
that your Son had to pay.
Let us never be ashamed of his cross
or proclaim a painless Christianity,
for we trust you when you call us
to bear witness to you the way you want us to,
through Jesus Christ, your Son and Lord. R/ Amen.
Blessing
We ourselves have been marked
with the sign of the cross
as people saved by a serving Lord.
On account of the cross,
we have to learn to forgive,
to bear one another’s burdens
and to accept the realities of life
as people of hope and trust,
with the blessing of almighty God,
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.
Let us go in the peace of Christ. R/ Thanks be to God.
REFLECTIONS
John 3:13-17
The Cross: Love Lifted High
Today, we honour the Cross not because we celebrate suffering, but because it is where divine love shines brightly. Jesus explains to Nicodemus that the Son of Man must be “lifted up.” In John’s Gospel, this lifting has two meaningful layers: Christ is raised on a shameful instrument, yet at the same time, he is crowned with glory.
The world often sees power as the ability to dominate and overcome enemies. But through Jesus on the Cross, we see a different kind of power—a power rooted in surrender, service, forgiveness, and self-giving. His throne is the Cross, and his victory comes through loving even our enemies. What might seem like failure actually unveils God's true purpose and love.
Just as the bronze serpent lifted in the wilderness reminds us of hope, Christ crucified lovingly calls us to turn toward healing and new life. Believing in Him is, more than anything, about trusting the beautiful path of His life and allowing it to gently reshape our own. Every time we embrace the Cross—by choosing service over status, reconciliation over revenge, fidelity over convenience, and love over self-preservation—we walk in His way and grow closer to His love.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.” The Cross is not God’s condemnation of humanity, but God’s solidarity with it. Jesus enters our violence and death so that none of these can separate us from love.
Today, let us look upon the Cross courageously. May it overturn our measures of success and teach us that no loving sacrifice is wasted. When we descend in humble service, we are lifted with Christ into the life that cannot be destroyed.