“Death is swallowed up in victory.”

Today is the feast day for everybody who suffers — and that’s all of us. It’s the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross.

An instrument of horrendous torture and death became the means for redemption and life. The Cross of Jesus Christ is a weapon with which he engaged in cosmic battle with death. He conquered death by taking it upon himself, dying on a cross. Death was swallowed up by Life from the inside out. This is the triumph. Without Good Friday there is no Easter Sunday.

All suffering now takes on redemptive value if it is united to the Cross. That is why Jesus tells us to pick up our crosses and to follow him. It can be difficult… as it was for the Master. But he went before us and upholds us — we have only to asks for his help to carry our crosses after him. On Saturday after spending time with my sister at the Eucharistic Congress (a great blessing on so many levels and an opportunity to see my sister, Sister Grace Dominic, Sister of Life) I realized how difficult the suffering of separation can be. How great must the reward be at the end? We discussed the fact that we must carry are crosses for one another and that the glory to be revealed to us is not even worth comparing to the suffering! It is very difficult — but his Cross is our Hope.