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Sharing the Word is a daily 90-second radio homily by Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk, based on the weekday Mass readings. Sharing the Word is a companion to the Sunday Soundbite,and is also heard on Catholic radio stations around the country.

Program for Friday, September 14, 2012 (Exaltation of the Holy Cross)
The cross is not just a symbol of death but also of faithfulness and victory.

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Sharing the Word Archive

Today's Reading

John 3:13-17

Today is the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. It commemorates the finding of the relics of the cross by St. Helen. Today the Church invites its members to recall that the cross is the symbol of Christ’s faithfulness, His victory over suffering and death.

In the gospel Jesus tells Nicodemus that He, the Son of Man, would be lifted up (on the cross) as a sign of life just as Moses had lifted up the statue of the serpent in the desert as a sign of God’s power to save His people.

The suffering of Jesus is the source of salvation. The cross is not just a symbol of death but also of faithfulness and victory.

That’s what the Church celebrates today.

Meet Archbishop Pilarczyk

Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk, the eighth ordinary of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Ohio, is a nationally prominent churchman, educator and author. A native of Dayton, Ohio, he was ordained a priest on December 20, 1959, after studies in Rome. He was ordained bishop in 1974 and installed as Archbishop of Cincinnati in 1982, where he served until his retirement in 2009. In addition to a doctorate in sacred theology from Pontifical Urban University, he holds an M.A. in classics from Xavier University in Cincinnati and a Ph.D. in classics from the University of Cincinnati. He has written more than a dozen popular books and many pamphlets and articles. His best-selling book is Twelve Tough Issues – And More. His most recent books are When God Speaks and Live Letters. The archbishop’s service to the American church includes terms as vice president (1986-1989) and president (1989-1992) of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops.

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