Written by Barb Spies, OFS, Director of Mission Services and Pastoral Care

The month of September has a lot happening! School has started. Football is underway. Pumpkins are growing. Everyone is getting back into the swing of fall happenings. Each new season brings its celebrations. As we shift from summer to fall there are also some celebrations in the Church.

On the 14th of September, the Church celebrates the Exaltation of the Cross. I love the hymn “Lift High the Cross.” It reminds us that what was once a symbol of death and shame has become our most beloved symbol of faith. It is an emblem across all of Christianity, no matter the denomination. It reminds us of the gift that Jesus gave to us, the love He had for us. We wear that symbol to recall his offering of compassionate care. Many traditions make the sign of the Cross as a reminder of God’s love for us, having sent his Son to be with us.

September 17 is noted as the date that St. Francis of Assisi received the marks of Jesus’ wounds, the stigmata. He had spent many days in prayer in a secluded area of the wilderness, on Mount La Verna, in Italy. During his prayers, he had a vision of a seraph with Christ crucified. Francis received wounds in the same places as Jesus, signs of his suffering and his compassion. Francis kept these wounds secret, only a few knew of them. But, after his death they were evident to many. The compassion of St. Francis and his prayers to be as close to Christ as possible, especially in caring for God’s people, are evidenced in these marks. One of the prayers of St. Francis reminds of the importance of the Cross: We adore you, Lord Jesus Christ, here, and in all your churches throughout the whole world, and we bless you, for by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

In September I hope you will, with me, remember that in the midst of all that the shift from summer to fall brings to us, that we also celebrate at this time the wonder of what God has done for us.