The Exaltation of the Holy Cross Feast

‘If anyone were bitten by a serpent, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.’

 In those days: The people became impatient on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses, ‘Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.’ Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. And the people came to Moses and said, ‘We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.’ So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.’ So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live. 

Never forget the deeds of the Lord!

Give ear, my people, to my teaching;

incline your ear to the words of my mouth.

I will open my mouth in a parable

and utter hidden lessons of the past.

Never forget the deeds of the Lord!

When he slew them, then they sought him,

repented and earnestly sought God.

They would remember that God was their rock,

God the Most High their redeemer.

Never forget the deeds of the Lord!

Yet they deceived him with their mouths;

they lied to him with their tongues.

For their hearts were not steadfast towards him;

they were not faithful to his covenant.

Never forget the deeds of the Lord!

Yet he who is full of compassion

forgave them their sin and spared them.

So often he held back his anger,

and did not stir up all his rage.

Never forget the deeds of the Lord!

‘He humbled himself, therefore God has highly exalted him.’

Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

Alleluia, Alleluia.

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you,

because by your Cross you have redeemed the world.

Alleluia.

‘The Son of Man must be lifted up.’

At that time: Jesus said to Nicodemus, ‘No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.’