Christ, and Him Crucified

In this homily, Bishop Robert Barron reflects on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, exploring the paradoxical nature of exalting a symbol of Roman tyranny and violence. He contrasts the Roman view of the cross as a tool of oppression with the Christian understanding of it as a symbol of God's descent into human suffering and the beginning of salvation through the resurrection of Jesus. Barron emphasizes that the resurrection turned the world upside down, revealing God's solidarity with victims rather than oppressors, and he connects this to St. Paul's description of Christ's self-emptying love in Philippians, illustrating how God fixes humanity's dysfunction from within.