Reflection for Sunday September 14 Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross: John 3:13-17

Gospel: John 3:13-17

Jesus said to Nicodemus: “No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” 

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

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Reflection:

How do we usually love? Oftentimes, we love those who love us. For those who do not love us, we also tend to withhold our love in return. This reaction, though natural to our human frailties, shows how conditional our hearts can sometimes be. 

But unlike our limited love, the love of God is boundless. It is encompassing; it is for every one of us. Even when we fall short, even when we sin, God’s love remains constant. His love is not earned—it is freely given. We are, in fact, always within the embrace of His love, no matter who we are or what we have done. 

When we love, we often measure it; we calibrate the love we give to the love we receive. Yet the Gospel challenges us to rise above this human tendency. Why not strive to love as God loves—without measure, without conditions? Why not extend love even to those who hurt us, reject us, or fail to return our affection? 

One of the surest signs of being a true and faithful follower of Christ is our ability to love those who do not love us back and to forgive those who never ask for forgiveness. This is not easy—but it is precisely in this difficulty that we mirror the heart of God. 

On the cross, Jesus revealed the fullness of divine love. He loved us even when we did not love Him in return. He forgave us even when we did not ask for forgiveness. This is the measure of God’s love—immeasurable, unconditional, eternal. 

Will we dare to love as God loves—to forgive those who wrong us, to embrace those who reject us, and to extend grace even when it is undeserved? — Marino J. Dasmarinas