Friends of the Rosary,

Today, September 14, is the feast of the exaltation of the Holy Cross, the glorious sign of our victory.

This day is also called the Triumph of the Cross, Elevation of the Cross, or Holy Cross Day. The Mother Church sings of the triumph of the Cross, the instrument of our redemption.

Observed in Rome since the seventh century, this feast commemorates the recovery by St. Helena of the Holy Cross, placed on Mount Calvary, and later returned to Jerusalem by Emperor Heraclius in 629.

The cross was a terrifying instrument of death and capital punishment in Greco-Roman times, reserved for those who undermined the authority of the Roman state. But the Resurrection of Christ through the strange providence of God made the cross the instrument of our salvation when we pass from death to life.

Jesus showed this by comparing his crucifixion to the bronze serpent. After Israel had sinned in the desert, God punished the people with deadly serpents. Yet when they repented and he showed them mercy, he did not take away the serpents. Instead, he erected an image of that punishment. If a bitten Israelite looked upon a bronze serpent, he would live.

"For 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.”

Similarly, Adam’s sin and our personal sins merit death. But we fix our eyes on the crucified Lord who was “obedient unto death, even death on a cross.”

To follow Christ, we must take up His cross, follow Him, even if it means death on the cross. We identify with Christ on the Cross and become co-redeemers, sharing in His cross.

The liturgy in today's Mass is triumphant. When Moses lifted up the bronze serpent over the people, it was a foreshadowing of the salvation through Jesus when He was lifted up on the Cross.

We continue praying for Charlie and Erika Kirk and their two children.

Ave Maria!
Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

• ⁠September 14, 2025, Today’s Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET