Today's feast of the Holy Cross preempts the ordinary Sunday, giving us an opportunity to take a good look at this "gibbet of shame" that has become the preeminent symbol of Christianity. Though we now love our crosses, in the time of Jesus, they were anything but lovely; they were the great sign of Roman cruelty towards those who threatened their empire. It is only in understanding this that we can today exalt the Cross as the sign of our salvation in Jesus. 

Homily shared with the Saint Francis Catholic Community in Cuenca, EC.