The Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Today's Gospel Reading (John3:13-17)

No one has gone up to heaven except the one who came down from heaven, the Son of man; as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so must the Son of man be lifted up so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him. For this is how God loved the world: he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.For God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but so that through him the world might be saved.

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Today, Nicodemus, who "took out the nails" from Jesus Christ, receives
an anticipated revelation: the Son of man will be "ex-alted" (high and lifted
up from the Earth) and will draw all men unto Himself. The emerging
Church, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, was slowly getting deeper
into this truth. One thing was clear from the onset: with the Cross of Christ,
the ancient sacrifices of the temple were definitely outdone. Something new
had happened!

God did not want to be glorified by sacrificing bulls and rams, whose blood
cannot purify man nor atone for him. The new desired cult, but still undefined
until then, had become a reality. In the Cross of Jesus it had been verified what
in vain had been attempted with animal sacrifices: Christ has occupied their
place. The temple was still a venerable place of prayer and announcement.
Its sacrifices, on the other hand, were no longer binding upon Christians.

—We adore you, Oh Christ!, and we bless you, because with your Holy Cross
you redeemed the world.