As Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

St. Paul speaks of God highly exalting Jesus in his Resurrection – Deus exaltavit illum – we just sang (Phil 2:9). For St. John, Jesus is already exalted on the Cross.

Of old Moses was told that whoever would look upon the uplifted serpent would live. So we look – and especially today – at Jesus lifted up on the Cross – in order that we might live – in order that we might have life in him.

As we look we ask ourselves: Who is he? and then: What is he doing there? The New Testament as a whole gives us the answers to these questions; or rather: it points us, truly, towards this fathomless mystery, so endlessly fascinating, so powerfully moving, so limitlessly life-giving.

St. Paul and St John come together with all the other New Testament writers in affirming that by his Cross Jesus has won for us a great victory. He has accomplished for us, once and for all, something we could never have done for ourselves. In submitting himself so low, he has raised us up very high. By his Cross, Jesus has overcome sin and the devil. But his Cross Jesus has reconciled us to God; poured out on us the Holy Spirit; redeemed us, justified us, sanctified us, glorified us. By his Cross Jesus has trampled death underfoot, and opened for us the door to eternal life.

What is the meaning of the Cross? Supremely it’s a sign, a revelation, a guarantee of the love of God. In the Cross we see that God has loved us so much – has loved us while we were yet sinners – has loved us to the end.

Nos autem gloriari oportet in cruce Domini nostri Iesu Christi (cf. Gal 6:14). Yes! we really really really must boast, glory, triumph, exult in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. And we do! We set it up in our Churches, and honour it with incense and other signs of reverence. We sign ourselves with the Cross, we wear the Cross, we bless with the Cross, we sing of the Cross, we meditate on the Cross: yet still, always we find ourselves confounded by the Cross.

Certainly 14th of September is a day for hymns of exultation, hymns of triumph, victory and glory. But also, 14th of September marks a change: traditionally the beginning of monastic lent. So we’re reminded today also that for the Cross to be effective in our lives, we ourselves must be crucified with Jesus. In order to live with him forever, we must first die to sin and to ourselves.

If the Cross is a sign of victory, it’s also a sign that we must live henceforth by faith, repenting of our sins, turning ever and anew towards God, living not for this world, but above all for the world to come.

Today indeed we proclaim that the Cross of Christ is the centre of all history; that its power is all-sufficient; that it’s unsurpassable; needing in principle no addition whatever. Yet at the Last Supper Jesus commanded that his act of total self gift be endlessly repeated. So we are here now once more, to make his saving sacrifice present; to lift it up; to exalt him; and in him to be lifted up ourselves: all the way up to God, and to eternal life.