Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Opening Prayer
Jesus
You emptied yourself for us on the Cross
You sacrificed all you had for our sins
You poured out your blood
and you gave your life freely
We are humbled by the power of Your actions.
We are strengthened by Your Word.
We are in awe of Your mercy and grace.

Journal/Reflection Questions
Numbers 21:4b-9
• How does God use the bad situation to show good? Does He offer these kinds of solutions to you in your life today?
• What is the moral of the story here? What is God trying to say?

Philippians 2:6-11
• Do you think Jesus didn’t seek equality with God because He subconsciously knew He was God?
• How could someone seek equality with God? What would that look like? Is it possible?
• Are there people you have put up in a place of honor like God? What makes this so? How can you begin to move toward putting God and God alone first in your life?

John 3:13-17
• What are you willing to risk in order to be a follower of Christ? What did Nicodemus risk? Did his risk pay off?
• Are there things you consider worth dying for in this world today?

General Questions for Journaling
• Have you experienced good things coming out of bad situations? Where was God in this instance?
• Consider the symbolism in this First Reading. What do the snakes represent? What does the staff represent? What is ailing the people? What do they suffer from? How is this similar or different from today?
• Has God ever told you to do something you thought didn’t make any since like He did to the people in the desert? What can you do to listen to these requests and follow them even if they sound strange in the ways of the world?
• How does Jesus show humility in the scriptures this week? What can we learn from his example?
• Define poverty. Is it simply the lack of something or is there more too it?
• How might you be in poverty in your life right now?
• In the Gospels, Jesus repeatedly shows us how to pray. Reflect on the examples you can remember and try to put one or more of them into action.

Closing Prayer
Leader: When we recognize you in the everyday…
ALL: We turn our eyes toward heaven!
Leader: When we allow ourselves to surrender to your will…
ALL: We turn our eyes toward heaven!
Leader: When we consciously draw ourselves into unity with you…
ALL: We turn our eyes toward heaven!

Challenge for the Week: A tradition in the Catholic Church during Holy Week, the week leading up to Easter, is to gather together to venerate the cross. The word ‘venerate’ means to show great respect. The cross is one of the major symbols of Christianity and is displayed in most if not all places Christians gather to worship. Many Christians will have a cross hung somewhere in their home and others will wear the symbol on their clothing or as an accessory. The cross carries with it the understanding that it unites us to Christ and to one another. However, there is an even deeper meaning which we sometimes over look. The cross is not simply a symbol of Christianity but all that Christianity stands for because of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Catholics take this reverence one step further and display the cross with Christ crucified, the crucifix, to remind us of the sins Jesus suffered and died for in order for us to be forgiven. But it doesn’t just stop there. We venerate the cross because that is the symbol of all of the sins Jesus carried, we should still be taking our sins to the cross. Then, like Jesus, we should leave them at the cross and be resurrected from the sin into everlasting life. The cross reminds us of the promise of heaven but it is also a portal to heavenly life here on earth. The challenge this week is simple, look for the cross in the community. When you see a cross, give thanks and praise to God. If someone is wearing a cross, acknowledge it. We don’t only need to venerate the cross on Good Friday, but each and every day!