“We are celebrating the feast of the cross which drove away darkness and brought in the light. As we keep this feast, we are lifted up with the crucified Christ, leaving behind us earth and sin so that we may gain the things above. So great and outstanding a possession is the cross that he who wins it has won a treasure. Rightly could I call this treasure the fairest of all fair things and the costliest, in fact as well as in name, for on it and through it and for its sake the riches of salvation that had been lost were restored to us.” –St. Andrew of Crete

The feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross finds its place on the calendar from the date of the dedication of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. In the fourth century, prompted by St. Helen, Constantine ordered the demolition of a Temple of Venus that had been erected over the site of Christ’s burial. Legend has it that during demolition three crosses were discovered buried in a part of hillside covered in sweet basil. Wood from the three crosses were placed on a woman who lay dying. Two of the pieces affected no change in the dying woman, but with the third a miraculous healing occurred. St. Helen was convinced that this third piece was of the True Cross of Christ, also known as the Holy Rood. The church, built on this site, was dedicated as the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

Today’s celebration is in honor of the Cross of Christ, the symbol of sacrifice and salvation for Christians and all the world. This prayer from the Mass for the day beautifully expresses the significance of the Cross:

“For you placed the salvation of the human race on the wood of the Cross, so that, where death arose, life might again spring forth and the evil one, who conquered on a tree, might likewise on a tree be conquered…”

 Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation (ICEL)

Here are some ways to celebrate this feast at home:

Story

The Queen and the Cross by Cornelia Mary Bilinsky: A picture book retelling of the discovery of the True Cross.

Loyola Press’ Saints Stories forhttps://www.loyolapress.com/catholic-resources/saints/saints-stories-for-all-ages/triumph-of-the-cross/ All Ages: Tells of the significance of the Cross of Christ.

Prayer

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Activity

I’ve loved this craft from Catholic Memories, we’ve done it in the past a couple of times. The result is a lovely, colorful, frame or gift-worthy piece. If you don’t have pastels this craft can also have success using finger paints or watercolors. 

Treat

On this feast there were two treat ideas that caught my fancy. The first is a meal, the second a dessert.

Basil Pesto Pasta with Grilled Chicken and Peas

Legend has it that St. Helen found the cross beneath a part of the hill covered in sweet basil. It’s easy to tie-in some basil-infused meal to highlight the story of the finding of the true cross, especially since pesto is a hit with most members of this family! I had hoped to have this for St. Helen’s Day in August as well, but that didn’t happen this year! This dish is super easy, and one of my go-to summer dishes. I’ll usually have the hubster grill a couple of extra chicken breasts on one of our weekend grills and keep those for an easy meal midweek. 

To make: throw peas into your pasta pot in the last few minutes of cooking. Drain, reserving some of the pasta water. Toss pasta and peas with your favorite pesto, some of the cooking water, a splash of olive oil and sliced or cubed chicken breast. You can add any veg to this as well, fresh baby spinach or sliced green beans, zucchini, asparagus…Everything is better with pesto!

Hazelnut Cake

When researching this feast day I came across information relating this day to Hazelnut harvesting in England. Hazelnuts procured on this day, called Holy Nut or Devil’s Nutting Day, were said to have magical or healing powers. I just love a good medieval feast day tradition! One page I came across had a simple and tasty looking hazelnut and blackberry cake, so I’m going to try that one out. For a simpler hazelnut treat there’s always…Nutella! I mean, unless you don’t love choco-nutty spreadable indulgences. 

I hope these ideas aid in your home celebrations! Do please share how your family celebrates in the comments or on social media. Use #holydaysathome and follow along!