Sunday Before the Exaltation of the Holy Cross: John 3:13–17

On the Sunday before the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, the Church leads us to the very heart of the mystery of salvation. Before we even behold, in the liturgical life of the Church, the Cross lifted up in the center of the church, we hear Christ Himself reveal what this exaltation means: it is not simply an event of suffering, nor only a historical moment of injustice; it is the manifestation of God’s love for humanity.

The Lord says: “No one has ascended into heaven except He who descended from heaven.” With these words, He reveals to us that salvation is not a human achievement. Man cannot ascend to heaven by himself, cannot conquer death, cannot heal the wound of sin on his own. The way is opened because God first descends. The Son of God becomes man, enters our history, takes on our weakness, and draws near to our pain. He comes down to earth in order to raise man up to heaven.

This movement of God is a movement of love. It does not begin with our worthiness, but with His compassion. God does not wait for us to become perfect before He loves us. He loves us in our fallenness, in our weakness, in our spiritual confusion. This is why Christ immediately speaks…