Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Feast day: September 14
On September 14, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The feast commemorates two historical events. The first event was the discovery of the True Cross by Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine. And the second was the dedication in 335 of the basilica and shrine built on Calvary by Constantine, which marks the site of the Crucifixion. On this feast, we reflect on the Cross and how we are redeemed by the suffering and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Collect
O God, who willed that your Only Begotten Son
should undergo the Cross to save the human race,
grant, we pray,
that we, who have known his mystery on earth,
may merit the grace of his redemption in heaven.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
