Yesterday we celebrated the Feast of the Triumph of the Holy Cross. It’s a day that reminds us, as Christians, that God can make even the consequences of our fallenness into a means of glory and an opportunity for recognizing His unfailing Love. It reminds us that, no matter where we go or what we suffer, Christ is there before us, in His triumph, and with us, in our suffering as members of His body, the Church.
On the back of Benedictine medal we find the abbreviated prayer “Crux sacra sit mihi lux! Nunquam draco sit mihi dux.” which translates “May the holy cross by my light! May the dragon never be my guide.” The Cross has the power to illuminate our way, even as we carry it, for Christ, who is always present in our darkness and suffering, offers unfailing light to our steps even when we struggle to see.
Often we don’t – and can’t – know what battles the people around us might be fighting, or what they might be suffering. But Christ knows, with a nearness that transcends empathy. So today, in honor of the Triumph of the Holy Cross, I invite you to pray with me for the people around us, whoever they may be, in their private sufferings. May Christ touch their lives, offering strength and comfort through us, by His inexhaustible, creative Love.
Dear Jesus,
You suffered death to open the gates of Heaven. In the triumph of Your Holy Cross, heal and strengthen us, that we may share in Your redemptive work and rejoice forever with You.
Be near to those who are hurt and suffering. Reminds us, by Your grace at work in and through each of our lives, that we are never alone.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
