September 15, 2025
Paulist Fr. Rich Andre preached this homily on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross on September 14, 2025 at Old St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Chicago, IL. The homily is based on the day’s readings: Numbers 21:4b-9; Psalm 78; Philippians 2:6-11; John 3:13-17.
There are 7 days in the liturgical calendar that take precedence over Sundays in Ordinary Time. This year, 5 of those days fall on Sundays. Today is #3, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross.
I have a hard time differentiating between two words in today’s prayers: exalt and exult. To exalt is to lift something up, to raise it in rank. To exult is to rejoice.
We are told that 1,699 years ago today, St. Helena — mother of the Emperor Constantine — began the process of building the Basilica over the very spot where Jesus was crucified. But that is not the main exaltation for our exultation today. In our gospel, Jesus explains to Nicodemus that the Son of Man must be lifted up as the bronze serpent was lifted up in the desert. And if you don’t remember the bronze serpent story, you’re in luck: it’s our first reading today. /p>
Like many major feasts of the church year, the key to understanding our exultation is found in the second reading. It is perhaps the oldest passage in the entire New Testament – Paul is quoting a hymn that the early Christians were already singing before he wrote his letters. Let us empty ourselves so that we may be filled up with God’s mercy!
Our first reading, from the Book of Numbers, tells a disturbing story. The Israelites complain about the food that God has provided for them in the desert, God sends serpents to bite the people and kill them, and then Moses and God strike a deal that the people can be cured by looking at a bronze serpent exalted on a pole. [Pause.] Why didn’t God just get rid of the serpents?
[Pause.] Well, why does suffering exist? [Pause.] It’s a theological mystery, beyond human comprehension. Let’s not pretend to have the answer. But on this weekend after we observed the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and we continue to reel from the headlines about a political assassination, I think we can agree: most of the suffering in the world is not caused by God; most — but perhaps not all — is caused by the nature of sin.
For those of us who are willing to engage in the work of prayer and contemplation, we often find that suffering can become redemptive. Regardless, it is hard for us to accept. We want to think that if we are devout in our faith, God will make our lives easy. But that’s not how it works. People of faith may not have easier lives, but God can use their suffering as a channel for them to receive God’s overpowering love.
“God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.” At the time of Jesus, children guaranteed a family’s flourishing. They did the farming and the chores, they cared for aging parents, and they connected the family with the larger community through their marriages. Today, when we have fewer children that ever before – and we invest more of our hopes and dreams into each of them – perhaps we better understand what it means to sacrifice one’s only child. God suffered for our sake – giving his only Son for our redemption.
But, as the Philippians passage points out, this intense love is not a one-way street. Jesus Christ, the Creator’s only Son, loved God so much that he emptied himself and became one of us in all things but sin. Many people have meditated on this idea, saying that we Christians must “empty ourselves” like Jesus. We empty ourselves of our personal desires in order to attend to the needs of others. Let’s be clear: we are not called to be doormats, letting people take advantage of us. Jesus endured his passion and death because it would lead to the salvation of the world.
[Pause.] So, how are we called to empty ourselves for the salvation of the world? How do we set aside our own cares and concerns to focus on the needs of others? [Pause.]
Back in 2012, the political scientist Robert Putnam published a book called American Grace. His research showed that the best predictor of someone’s self-giving – be it giving to charity, donating blood, sitting with a depressed friend, or helping someone find a job – it’s not based on someone’s level of income, their age, or their level of education. The best predictor for one’s ability to empty oneself for the sake of others – is attending religious services.
Let’s be clear, friends: this is a scientific study. Attendance at worship might not be the best indicator of someone’s level of faith, but it’s an objective measure. Researchers will not get as accurate a measure by asking people to assess their level of faith or to calculate how much time they spend in prayer.
As the world seems to be becoming more individualistic — trending towards atheism, libertarianism, and fewer family connections — religion is the one of the few remaining institutions that promotes caring for people we don’t know all that well, that connects us with people beyond those with whom we interact at home, at work, or through social activities. As we continue reviving the Social Justice & Services Group in the upcoming months, you’ll hear about some more opportunities for us to collectively empty ourselves for others less fortunate than us.
God so loved the world that he gave his only Son. God’s only Son loved the Father so much that he emptied himself and became a slave for us. May we empty ourselves so that we may be filled with God’s sanctifying grace and so bless others.