Scripture Scribbles: September 14, 2025 - Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

the Gospel

John 3:13-17

Jesus said to Nicodemus:
"No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.

the scribble

Dear hearts, this week has been difficult, hasn’t it? I am not usually attached to social media (or any media) but this week I have struggled to stop myself from visiting the infinite scroll of tragedy and horror unfolding. I am exhausted and heartbroken by all I have seen and read, by all that has happened, by the darkness and cruelty that abounds.

Then the Spirit whispers, “…But where sin increased, grace increased all the more.” (Romans 5:20).

And I know this is true.

I know it is true because of the Holy Cross we exalt today..

What we exalt in the cross is the love that God proved to us by freely accepting it.

What we exalt in the cross is that through it, God conquered all suffering and death, winning it once and for all from the enemy.

But what does it mean that suffering and death have been conquered?

It means that right here, today, now, the sorrowful mysteries of our lives and of the world do not end in desolation and death, but rather, when united to Christ on the Holy Cross, they lead to resurrection and joy. We experience our deepest good not despite the sorrowful mysteries, but because of them. 

"What you meant for evil, God meant for good." Genesis 50:20

Can you imagine the frustration of the evil one? He intends to destroy us by cruelty, injustice, abuse, isolation, deceit, suffering and death and yet through those very crosses we bear, by grace, we become patient, holy, joyful, courageous, rooted, unshakeable in faith, hope and love and closer and closer to the Lord. Through those very crosses, we become even more able to bring others to the Lord.

Eighteen years ago, I walked the Camino de Santiago during a very dark time in my life. This summer, I found myself at Finisterre, standing in the same place I had way back then. It was wild to be there standing on the same patch of rock because it brought the pain I was feeling those years ago right to the surface. Like a time capsule. But even more wild was that from there, I could clearly see the good that God has done, the way he has tenderly healed me, the glory he has brought to those wounds and the people who have been able to understand his love and mercy and goodness a bit more because of my story.

It gives me hope for the sorrowful mysteries I am living now.

Jesus, I trust in you.

Especially in the darkness.

Through the cross and resurrection, we have been made a people of hope and joy, of salt and light for the world.

Today’s devotion was written by Lucia Parker