The Exultation of the Cross and Our Lady of Sorrows

On September 14, we celebrate the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross which celebrates two historical events. First, the discovery of the True Cross by Saint Helena, the mother of the Emperor Constantine in 320 under the temple of Venus in Jerusalem. And second, the dedication in 335 of the basilica and shrine built on Calvary by Constantine, which marks the site of the Crucifixion.

However this feast, more than anything else, is a celebration and commemoration of God’s greatest work: his salvific death on the Cross and His Resurrection, through which death was defeated and the doors to Heaven opened (Catholic News Agency). The entrance antiphon for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is: “We should glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, for he is our salvation, our life and our resurrection: through him we are saved and made free.”

On September 15, we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. From the early days of Jesus’ life, Mary suffered through these maternal pains and anxieties. With Simeon’s prophecy, Mary knew that a sword would pierce her own soul. Soon thereafter, the Holy Family was forced to flee to Egypt in order to save Jesus from King Herod (Matthew 2:13-23). Also the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph suffered the pain of Jesus remaining behind in the Temple for three days. With her Son entering into His Mission, the opposition of so many to Him as recounted in the Gospels, must have been a tremendous sorrow for Mary. All of this culminated at the Cross.

The title “Our Lady of Sorrows” therefore, honors the trials that the Mother of the “Suffering Servant” (Isaiah 52:13-53:12) faced, and therefore, this feast follows immediately after the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.