On Friday, September 15, 2023, Latin Patriarchal Vicar for Jordan Bishop Jamal D’aibes celebrated Holy Mass at the Humanitarian Care House in Fuheis, marking the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. In attendance were a group of priests, nuns, and Sisters of the Cross who supervise the home for the elderly, and a large number of people from various parts of Jordan.

In his homily, Bishop D’aibes noted that the Church celebrates feasts relevant to the Cross mainly twice a year, the first is on Good Friday in an atmosphere of pain and sadness, and the second time on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross in an atmosphere of victory, pride and joy. He added that in both times, the Church invites us to contemplate the Cross and learn from the school of the Cross.

He pointed out that daily crosses are still present in this life, which are represented in difficulties, pain, and the death of loved ones. He stressed that despite these difficulties, we must contemplate how to walk with these crosses in the spirit of faith and without complaining. He continued that the bronze serpent, which was made by Prophet Moses in the Old Testament, is a preemptive symbol of what would happen at the Cross of Lord Jesus Christ in the New Testament, as it is an invitation to every Christian to move on in this life with eyes and hearts focusing at the Cross because it transmits grace, salvation, and life.

Bishop D’aibes pointed out that the Holy Cross was Lord Jesus Christ’s means for the attainment of victory and the salvation of the world. He neither remained crucified nor dead, but rather became a sign of the victory of goodness over evil, truth over falsehood, justice over injustice, grace over sin, and resurrection over death. Consequently, the Cross has become a sign of hope for every Christian while walking amidst the difficulties of life, following the example of Lord Jesus Christ.