Lectio Divina for the Feast of the Exultation of the Holy Cross
September 14, 2025
We begin our prayer:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
O God, who willed that your Only Begotten Son
should undergo the Cross to save the human race,
grant, we pray,
that we, who have known his mystery on earth,
may merit the grace of his redemption in heaven.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
(Collect, Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross)
Reading (Lectio)
Read the following Scripture two or thee times.
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.
Meditation (Meditatio)
After the reading, take some time to reflect in silence on one or more of the following questions:
- Did this scripture passage remind you of a personal experience, story, or another scripture passage?
- What word or words in this passage caught your attention?
- What in this passage comforted you?
- What in this passage challenged you?
If practicing lectio divina as a family or in a group, after the reflection time, invite the participants to share their responses.
Prayer (Oratio)
Read the Scripture passage one more time. Bring to the Lord the praise, petition, or thanksgiving that the Word inspires in you.
Contemplation (Contemplatio)
Read the Scripture again, followed by this reflection:
What conversion of mind, heart, and life is the Lord asking of me?
So must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. How do I lift up my faith in Jesus through my words and actions? When have I shared my faith with someone?
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son. When have I felt God’s love most strongly? How do I respond to God’s gift of saving love?
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. What can I do to make the world (or my piece of it) a more just and peace-filled place? How can I be a source of unity rather than division?
After a period of silent reflection and/or discussion, all recite the Lord’s Prayer and the following:
Closing Prayer
Hearken, my people, to my teaching;
incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth in a parable,
I will utter mysteries from of old.
While he slew them they sought him
and inquired after God again,
Remembering that God was their rock
and the Most High God, their redeemer.
But they flattered him with their mouths
and lied to him with their tongues,
Though their hearts were not steadfast toward him,
nor were they faithful to his covenant.
But he, being merciful, forgave their sin
and destroyed them not;
Often he turned back his anger
and let none of his wrath be roused.
(From Psalm 78)
Living the Word This Week
Examine your conscience in light of the Church’s social teaching and receive the Sacrament of Penance.
To learn more about the readings for the Feast of the Exultation of the Holy Cross, watch the video below.
Excerpts from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970
Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner.
Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970
Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
No portion of this text may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 2010, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.