Blessed Be the Feast of the Holy Cross

Today is the Feast of the Triumph of the Holy Cross. One would think, by the very name of this Feast Day alone, that it must be a Holy Day of Obligation – a day Catholics are required to attend Mass. While encouraged to pray daily and attend Mass as much as possible, only certain days are days of Obligation.

All Sundays are Holy Days of Obligation. Attending Mass isn’t an elective, it is a requrement. Failure to do so may (and I stress may) be considered a sin. To commit a Mortal Sin, three components are necessary. First that the act committed is of grave matter (serious), with full knowledge and full consent of will. So you would need to know that your actions are sinful, and with full knowledge and consent, you do it anyway. Adultery is a great example as there is no gray area there. While failing to attend Mass on Holy Days of Obligation can be considered sinful, there are exception. Work conflicts, caring for someone who is homebound, your own illness or an inability to get to a Church. God knows things happen that are out of our control and He looks to your heart. Just as He knows if you rolled over in bed one Sunday morning, pulled the covers over your head and decided it was better stay in bed all day then to spend an hour with Him.

Within the Universal Catholic Church, Cannon Law tells us that, outside of Sundays, there are nine Holy Days of Obligation. That same law allows the local conference of Bishops to suppress some of them, or to transfer them to a Sunday. If a Holy Day of Obligation such as All Saints (November 1) should fall on a Saturday or Monday, attending Mass on Sunday fulfills that obligation. Currently, in the United States, there are only six Holy Days of Obligation outside Sundays since the Bishops have suppressed the Feast of Satin Joseph, the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, and moved the Feast of the Epiphany to a Sunday. The Holy Days of Obligation outside Sundays are

The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God: January 1
Ascension Thursday: Thursday of the 6th week of Easter
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary: August 15
All Saints: November 1
The Immaculate Conception: December 8
Christmas: December 25

This is a long-winded way of saying the Feast of the Triumph of the Holy Cross is not a Holy Day of Obligation. So just what is this feast day all about? It centers around three things: the discovery of the True Cross on September 14, 320 by the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine. The building and dedication of a church on that site in 335, and finally the restoration of the True Cross to Jerusalem by Byzantine Emperor Heraclius in 629. These are all important events in the history of the Church and the faithful worthy of remembering.

If you were to attend Mass today to celebrate the Triumph of the Holy Cross, today’s Readings would consist of:

1st Reading: Numbers 21:4B-9
2nd Reading: Philippians 2:6-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 78:1BC-2, 34-38
The Gospel of John 3:13-17

Perhaps, just perhaps, families could sit down together after supper and read the word of God. Perhaps, just perhaps, it might make a difference in your family, your community or the world that seems so lost and confused. Remember, we are not alone. For He is with us always. Come, follow Him, and He will give you rest.

For the Traditional Catholic, Feast of the Holy Cross also signals the coming of Ember Days of Autumn. Three days set aside to give thanks to the Lord Above for His bountiful blessings and good harvest.

---

Bow Tie Bolognese
1/2 cup Carrots
1/2 Yellow Onion
3 Garlic Cloves
5 strips Bacon
1 lb Ground Beef
1 lb Mild Italian Sausage
Italian Seasoning to taste
Beef Stock as needed
12 oz Bow Tie Pasta
1/2 cup Heavy Cream

Finely chop carrots, onions and garlic. Set aside. Cook bacon crisp in a large skillet. Drain bacon on paper towels. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon of bacon grease from the skillet.

Add onions, carrots and garlic, sauté for about 3 minutes or until tender. Add ground beef, sausage and Italian Seasoning. Cook for about 12 minutes, breaking meat into small pieces as it cook. Drain off excess fat.

Dice cooked bacon. Statter over the mixture in the skillet, stir to blend into the meat. Add pasta sauce to the skillet. Pour wine into the empty jar of pasta sauce, swirl to gather all the remaining sauce in the jar, empty into the skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes. If the sauce becomes too dry or overly-thick, add beef stock to thin with enriching the flavors.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rapid boil. Place pasta into the boiling water, stir and let cook al dente.

Once the pasta is cooking, add enough heavy cream to the sauce to change the color to a pail reddish color. Taste and adjust as needed. Sauce should be rich in flavors with a silky cream finish. Continue to simmer until heated through.

Drain pasta, spread out on a large serving platter. Ladle Bolognese Sauce over the pasta, toss to blend and coat the bow ties in the delicious sauce.

Serve with a simple salad and a glass of your favorite wine. Enjoy!

---

Alleluia, alleluia.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless You,
because by Your Cross You have redeemed the world.
Alleluia, alleluia.