Exaltation of the cross -Year C - Sunday, 14 September 2025 (EPISODE: 547)
Readings for Exaltation of the cross- Year C
FIRST READING: Num 21:4b-9
Ps 78:1-2, 34-35, 36-37, 38. "Do not forget the works of the Lord."
SECOND READING: Phil 2:6-11
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION ((no bibl. ref.)). Alleluia, Alleluia! We adore you, O Christ and we praise you, because by your cross you have redeemed the world!
GOSPEL: John 3:13-17
Image Credit: https://creator.nightcafe.studio/creation/prV7OXUEYjhGLpQIBP6Q/a-family-kneeling-in-prayer-before-the-crucifix?ru=Paul-Evangelion
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Please listen to the audio-recordings of the Mass – (Readings, prayers and homily), for Exaltation of the cross Year C - Sunday, 14 September 2025 - by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-ep-547-the/s-MDspp361YBi (EPISODE: 547)
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Originally, this Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, 14th of September, was commemorated for the dedication of Constantine's Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in the 4th century, after the celebration the wood of the cross was venerated. The feast spread in the west after the recovery of the relics of the cross from Persia in the 7th century.
It's a feast of the Lord and it celebrates the lifting up of the Son of Man on the cross into glory and the paradox of the cross as a sign of humiliation and death and yet also the source of victory and life.
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"In Christ's suffering and death on the cross, our Lord underwent the very worst of human torture and accepted it for all of our sakes. Always we hear this phrase, for our sake Jesus became human, for our sake Jesus lived, for our sake Jesus suffered, Jesus died for our sake, Jesus rose for our sake." [i] Not himself, but totally for the sake of others, for all. It's a wonderful example, a perfect example of self-sacrifice, self-forgetting, self-giving love, true divine love.
The cross of Jesus is not a sign of a bloodthirsty God who has no other way of forgiving sins than by demanding humans pay for their sins with physical punishment or by forfeiting their lives by dying. The cross is not really about humans paying for their collective sin by satisfying a hard-to-please God by offering up an innocent representative, although that certainly is the human way of thinking.
Jesus certainly was seen and described as the Passover Lamb, innocent and spotless. He described himself as that too, as did John the Baptist, sacrificed to atone for the sins of others. That's clearly so.
But what I'm meaning here is, I don't believe God demanded this be so, but that humans demanded that this be so. Humans have always demanded that that's the way, that it be so. And God knew that this was the way we humans think and met us where we are, out of love, out of desire to save us.
God did everything that it took to release us from the sin that we find hard to release others from without dire sacrifice and which we often find hard to release ourselves from as well. The cross then is really an effective sign of God's faithfulness and closeness to us through the most difficult times of life, through the best and worst of what the world offers. God is really saying, if I take your sins upon my shoulders, if my son gives his very life for you, will you quit killing each other with selfishness and return to me with all your heart? If I do this, will it be enough to end the cycle of hatred, revenge and sin? And indeed it is enough.
And God says so. We're told by the gospel, Jesus came into the world and died on the cross not to condemn, but that we might all be saved. God looked deep into the human heart and sees in us a seemingly constant need that we pay for our mistakes by retribution, often violent, life-taking retribution, that one person wins and others lose.
God revealed in Jesus, perfectly revealed in Jesus, became the scapegoat for the worst of what humanity throws at one another all the time. Jesus became a thing of horror on the cross so that everyone and anyone could throw, could project all that was wrong and bad about the world or about the complexity of their lives and circumstances and project it all at him, this lonely figure on the cross. And he disempowers this.
He defeats it. He neutralizes it. He puts an end to this cycle of violence as a solution to everything.
The triumph of the cross of Christ is God's ultimate word to humans. Now, finally, will you stop killing yourselves? Now will you stop hurting one another as the price for wrongs suffered? Let this be the means for me to end the harm constantly done towards each other as the penalty for innumerable sins. Let me bear this in myself.
Let me bear the world's insane need for retribution and revenge for everything done wrong so that you won't keep doing this to yourselves or to one another or to others. We should never underestimate the human ability to withhold forgiveness. We can even withhold forgiveness from ourselves.
But God reminds us it's not our right to say that. God has the right to forgive. And God says, I forgive.
And who are we to question that? It's not our right to demand incredible prices for wrongdoing and even then leave people with no hope of moving beyond the hurt, the wrong. The cross is an enormously powerful sign, an effective sacramental sign that there's an infinitely stronger solution to the wrongs in this world than merely eye for an eye, which leads to an endless cycle of retribution, harm, revenge and counter-retribution. This weekend's Feast of the Triumph of the Cross, which is a beautiful feast because it represents our salvation and our being drawn close to Christ who died and suffered for us.
It's a wonderful statement that unmasks the many false concepts of what true power is really like. The cross tells us that power is not really any of the following things. True power is not about domination.
But instead it's about love, freedom and persuasion. True power is being able to forgive rather than becoming a slave to revenge and hatred and a necessity to strike back. True power is not about control or standing over others, but about walking together as one.
True power in the cross is revealed in love, willing to suffer for others, to serve, to put others first. Jesus believed so completely in the needs and protection of everyone, even those on the margins, and he put his whole life on the line to ensure it. This power is stronger than anything else and all others.
And we celebrate this love and care of God revealed in this most contradictory sign of victory and love through the cross. +++++
REFERENCES:
- FR. PAUL W. KELLY
- [1] MONASTERY OF CHRIST IN THE DESERT. ABBOT'S HOMILY. [Abbots Homily, Christ in the Desert - The Monastery of Christ in the Desert Homily posted on September 10 2014. The Exaltation of the Holy Cross 2014. Cycle ABC. 2014] –
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Exaltation of the cross Year C -(Sunday, 14 September 2025) (EPISODE: 547 )
2. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
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{{How are you today}} welcome everyone, we gather - To offer or praise, prayers and intercessions to our loving God On this Exaltation of the cross
As we prepare to celebrate the paschal mystery, let us admit our failings and ask the Lord for pardon and strength.
Lord Jesus, you were lifted up to draw all people to yourself: Lord, have mercy
You shouldered the cross, to bear our suffering and sinfulness: Christ, have mercy
You open for your people the way from death into life: Lord, have mercy
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
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Memorial Acclamation
2. When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again.
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Ps 78:1-2, 34-35, 36-37, 38. "Do not forget the works of the Lord."
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION ((no bibl. ref.)). ). Alleluia, Alleluia! We adore you, O Christ and we praise you, because by your cross you have redeemed the world!
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PREFACE:
Eucharistic Prayer 2
(theme variation: theme 2 )
(post version: v2-long)
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{8. Bless you all and May God's grace guide you each and every day of this week.}
2. Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.
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Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com
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Details relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly
Prayers and chants — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL)
Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA)
"The Psalms" ©1963, 2009, The Grail - Collins publishers.
Prayers of the Faithful - " Together we pray" by Robert Borg'. E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993). (Sydney Australia).
Sung "Mass in Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" - By Jeffrey M. Ostrowski. The Gloria, Copyright © 2011 ccwatershed.org.
"Faith, Hope and Love" theme hymn - In memory of William John Kelly (1942-2017) - Inspired by 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Music by Paul W. Kelly. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.
"Quiet Time." Instrumental Reflection music. Written by Paul W Kelly. 1988, 2007. & This arrangement: Stefan Kelk, 2020.
"Today I Arise" - For Trisha J Kelly. Original words and music by Paul W. Kelly. Inspired by St Patrick's Prayer. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.
Sound Engineering and editing - P.W. Kelly.
Microphones: - Shure Motiv MV5 Digital Condenser. And (2024+) Rode Nt-1 + AI-1 Sound Mixer.
Editing equipment: -- MixPad Multitrack Studio Recording Software v10.49 (NCH Software).
NCH – WavePad Audio Editing Software. Masters Edition v 17.63 (NCH Software)
Sound Processing: iZotope RX 10 Audio Editor (Izotope Inc.)
Text transcription as per recorded podcast version is transcribed by TurboScribe.ai
{excellent and accurate transcription from voice to text}
[Production - KER - 2025]
May God bless and keep you.
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