Homily for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Burdens come in many varieties.

It could be the mountain of laundry you face every day or your child's tuition bill. It might come in the form of textbooks you use to teach your students, tools you rely on at the construction site, or the computer that generates the reports and graphics keeping your business running smoothly.

For some, it is the wheelchair necessary for navigating through life or the medication needed just to survive. For you, it might be the meal you prepare or deliver for "Take and Eat" or the soccer ball you use to coach a team of excited six- and seven-year-olds.

Some of the most profound burdens are the ear that always listens to another's troubles, the shoulder that is always available for someone to cry on, the smile that readily brings comfort, and the heart that breaks alongside another's pain.

Believe it or not, spouses can sometimes be significant burdens for one another, and good friends readily accept each other's struggles.

These are our crosses.

We often view crosses as burdens—things and people that demand so much of our energy and time. Many days, we would prefer to set those crosses aside and never pick them up again.

However, the true crosses—the ones God places on our shoulders and which Christ bears with us—are sources of hope, joy, discovery, life, and resurrection for both us and others. Yes, at times, they can be difficult to endure.

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, also known as the Triumph of the Cross, an ancient observance commemorating the discovery of Christ's Cross in Jerusalem and the dedication of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which continues to house the sites of Calvary and Jesus’ burial place.

As we reflect on Jesus being "lifted up" on the Cross for the redemption of the world, let us celebrate the crosses we carry, the challenges we take on in our journeys to Calvary, and the burdens that transform into trees of life, turning our trials into triumphs of hope and new life—just as promised in the Easter message.