Opening Prayer to St. Helena of the Cross
Holy and blessed Saint Helena, with the anguish and devotion with which you sought the Cross of Christ, I plead that you give me God's grace to suffer in patience the labors of this life, so that through them and through your intercession and protection, I will be able to seek and carry the Cross, which God has placed upon me, so that I can serve Him in this life and enjoy His Glory ever after. Amen.
Intentions (Prayer to the Exaltation of the Holy Cross)
Jesus, Who because of Thy burning Love for us willed to be crucified
and to shed Thy Most Precious Blood
for the Redemption and Salvation of our souls,
look down upon us and grant the petition we humbly ask for:
(Add other intentions as you please, and end with):
Lord we trust completely in Thy Mercy.
Cleanse us from sin by Thy Grace,
sanctify our work,
give us and all those who are dear to us our daily bread,
lighten the burden of our sufferings,
bless our families,
and grant to the nations,
so sorely afflicted,
Thy Peace, which is the only True Peace,
so that by obeying Thy Commandments
we may come at last to the Glory of Heaven. Amen
Rosary Meditation on the Exaltation of the Cross
Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried;
he descended into hell;
on the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty;
from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.
Amen.
Our Father (1x)
Hail Mary (3x)
Glory Be (1x)
1. The Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross
The Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross celebrates three things: the discovery of the True Cross of Jesus by Queen Helena; the recovery of the Cross of Jesus after it had been stolen; and the way we may triumph through our own crosses. Many people think Jesus was not a real historical person, and that Christianity is a myth. One of the reasons I love going to the Holy Land is that the historical places connect us to reality of Jesus. St Helena, the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine, went on pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 325 AD to find and restore all of the places connected with the life of Jesus. In God’s Providence, the most important places, the birthplace of Jesus in Bethlehem, Calvary where Jesus was crucified and died and the empty Tomb of the Resurrection were known by the local inhabitants for two reasons: First, Christians had continuously venerated these places from the time of Jesus. Second the Roman Emperor Hadrian, following the Bar Kokhba rebellion in AD 132, to stop Christians from venerating these sites, placed a pagan temple over each one. Without realizing it, the Emperor Hadrian perfectly preserved our most important holy sites and that is why they were known to everyone. When Queen Helena arrived, she ordered the pagan temples removed where underneath she found Calvary, the Empty tomb of Jesus and his birthplace in Bethlehem. Over calvary and the tomb of Jesus she built the Church of the Holy Sepulcher; at his birthplace in Bethlehem she built the Church of the Nativity; and the Church of Eleona on the Mount of Olives. Jesus is not a myth. He is real and with Him you are safe.
St. Helena, finder of the Cross, pray for us. Amen
2. The finding of the True Cross
Once Queen Helena found Calvary and the place of the Resurrection, she sought the Cross of Jesus. Calvary, where Jesus was crucified, was just outside the original city of Jerusalem in a rock quarry. Right next to the this quarry was the town dump. The local people told her that everything discarded from that part of the city was thrown into that dump. So Queen Helena ordered her troops to excavate it. There they found three crosses. Now the question, could one of these be the cross of Jesus? Queen Helena and the bishop of Jerusalem, St. Macarius, asked a woman with an incurable illness to touch all three. But when she handled one, she was instantly healed. Wanting to confirm this miraculous event, they ordered that man who had recently died be brought, had all three crosses touched to the corpse of a dead man, and the cross that healed the woman brought the dead man to life. They knew they had discovered the life-giving Cross of Jesus Christ.
St. Helena, finder of the Cross, pray for us. Amen
3. The Recovery of the True Cross
In the year 614, the Holy Land was attacked by the Persian who destroyed many churches, put to death many Christians and stole the true Cross of Jesus, taking it back to Persia, modern day Iran. But in 628, the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius defeated the Persians and recovered the Cross of Jesus. Heraclius wanted to carry the Cross of Jesus on his shoulders into Jerusalem to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, but he was unable to lift it while wearing his royal garments. Modestos the Patriarch of Jerusalem said to him: “How can you carry the Cross of Jesus dressed in expensive robes when Jesus carried the Cross in poverty. Hearing this, the Emperor removed his clothes, put on the simple clothes of a pilgrim and carried the Cross barefoot to Calvary. This event is commemorated by the Church on this day, September 14, proclaimed as the feast of “The Triumph of the Cross” or “The Exaltation of the Holy Cross.”
St. Helena, finder of the Cross, pray for us. Amen
4. We continue to triumph by the Cross of Jesus
If you experience some suffering, some cross or some loss, and you have done all you can to change it, then God is allowing it for two reasons. First, to empty you of all that blocks His entry to your soul that He may fill you with His divine life, love and joy. Second, that you may help Jesus save souls. On this first point St John of the Cross writes “God’s immense blessings can only fit in a heart that is empty; but if it is given room, it will inflame the heart with love.” Jesus was born in a cave because the Inn was full and the cave was empty. If we want to receive Jesus in His fullness then we too must be emptied of all disordered desires so that we may be filled by God. We become as big or as small as the objects of our love, says John of the Cross (Ascent of Mt Carmel. 1.4.8). We cling to many things which block us from receiving God. We may even become attached in a disordered way to good things that prevent God from entering more fully into our soul. God wants to remove all our blockages. That’s why He allows us to experience the cross. – to empty us of our disordered attachments. The Cross and suffering makes space and God fills that space if we place our trust in him. If you are experiencing some Cross, do not despair. Accept it with trust because God is emptying you to fill you with himself. By the Cross we too will triumph.
Our Father (1x)
Hail Mary (10x)
Glory Be (1x)
St. Helena, finder of the Cross, pray for us. Amen
5. God's Saving Work
The second reason God allows some cross or suffering in our lives is to make us a partner in His saving work. Jesus said, “If you want to be my disciple then you must take up your cross and follow me.” Jesus is inviting us to participate with Him in his saving work, but remember, His victory came through the cross. Therefore, He invites us to take up our cross and follow him. Jesus invites us to help him save souls by our own cross offered up and united to His. And the most powerful instrument at our disposal to help our family and friends get to heaven is our suffering. What you:
Our Father (1x)
Hail Mary (10x)
Glory Be (1x)
St. Helena, finder of the Cross, pray for us. Amen
Hail Holy Queen
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To you do we cry, poor banished children of Eve.
To you do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy toward us, and after this exile show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
Pray for us, O most holy Mother of God,
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Litany of Saints of Malaysia
St. Francis Xavier,
Pray for us
St. Jacques Chastan,
Pray for us
St. Laurent Imbert,
Pray for us
St. Philip Minh,
Pray for us
St. Peter Quy,
Pray for us
St. Paul Loc,
Pray for us
St. John Hoan,
Pray for us
St. Joseph Luu,
Pray for us
(You may add your patron saints here, or other saints)
Prayer for the Intercession of St. Helena
Holy and blessed St. Helena, with love and devotion you sought to find the Cross of Our Savior.
I plead for your intercession that I may have the same love and devotion to Jesus my Lord. Like you, may I accept the trials of life with patience and hope.
Under your protection, may I carry the Cross which the Lord has given me in this life and one day may I share with you the Crown of life eternal.
St. Helena, finder of the Cross, pray for us. Amen
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, You were pleased to reveal to blessed Helena the place where Your Cross was hidden, in order through her to enrich Your Church with this inestimable treasure: give ear to her prayers, and accept this tree of life as the price of our attaining to eternal happiness, You who are God, living and reigning.
Amen.