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Gospel Reading for September 14, 2026 – John 3: 13-17
A VERY BEAUTIFUL REMINDER
Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Jesus said to Nicodemus: “No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, 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.
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Someone once complained, “Why do Catholics display Jesus hanging on a cross? Isn’t it cruel enough to keep seeing Him like that?” Well, it always depends on how we see things.
For us Catholics, Jesus suffering on the cross is A VERY BEAUTIFUL REMINDER of how much God loves us. Imagine allowing your only Son to die at the hands of the very people He came to save. The emphasis is more on God’s act of love than on the sins of mankind. But of course, the crucifix is also a stark reminder that our sins—even though the crucifixion happened more than 2,000 years ago—continue to bring suffering to others, and not only to ourselves.
The cross, which used to be a symbol of shame because it was a punishment reserved for lowly criminals, was EXALTED into a symbol of endless love. Jesus did not glorify suffering for its own sake. He transformed suffering through love and obedience to the Father. Because of the Resurrection, the Cross is no longer the end of the story—it is the doorway to new life.
On this Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, let us ponder the theme song of World Youth Day 1995, held in Manila in the presence of Pope St. John Paul II and written by Trina Belamide, TELL THE WORLD OF HIS LOVE:
For God so loved the world
He gave us His only Son –
Jesus Christ our Savior,
His most precious One.
He has sent us His message of love
and sends those who hear
to bring the message to everyone
in a voice loud and clear.
Let us tell the world of His love,
the greatest love the world has known.
Search the world for those who have walked astray
and lead them home.
Fill the world’s darkest corners
with His light from up above.
Walk every step, every mile, every road
and tell the world,
tell the world of His love!
