The Celebration of the Triumph of the Cross

The Feast of the Triumph of the Cross is always celebrated in Medjugorje the Sunday following September 8th. Mass is celebrated at the top of Mount Krizevac. Krizevac means “Mount of the Cross.” It is the highest mountain in the area. In 1933, the parish of St. James erected a large cement cross to commemorate the 1900th Anniversary of Jesus’ passion and death on the cross. During the construction of the 16 ton cross, the parishioners carried up all of the materials, cement, sand, water, tools, etc. in memory of Christ’s way of the cross. The cross was completed on March 15, 1934. Holy Mass has been celebrated each year on top of Cross Mountain for the Triumph of the Cross since its completion. A relic of the True Cross, which was obtained from Rome, was placed within the cross. The Feast of the Triumph of the Cross is a very important feast for the Croatian people. Each year Croatians from all over come to Medjugorje to celebrate this special feast day together with family and friends.
 

The crowds gathered on top of Cross Mountain am in preparation for Mass on September 9, 2007 . Though the actual Feast of the Triumph of the Cross in on September 14, the parish of Medjugorje celebrated it this Sunday. This picture was taken at 9:20 am on Sunday morning.

In the early morning of Sunday, September 9, 2007, the day of the celebration when so many people from all over the world will ascend Mt. Krizevac (Cross Mountain) to walk hand in hand with Our Lady to take their trials and their sufferings to the cross with Her. At 6:00 a.m. there were a few people praying quietly up by the cross. By 7:30 a.m. there was a steady stream of people arriving at the crest of the mountain to venerate the cross and offer their hearts to God. It is an amazing sight to see people from all over the earth converge in one place to celebrate the victory of Christ’s suffering on the cross. At 10:45 a.m., with the area of the mountain around the cross packed with people, preparations were being made for the start of the Mass.
 

We live in a time when Christians are in a battle against those who ridicule and hate the cross, the suffering of Christ, not only by those who have never received the graces of the knowledge of Christ, but worse, those who call themselves Christians, who have received the graces and know Jesus, but have turned away. It is those Christians, who like Judas want to bring the heritage of God’s plan down because they hate the power of the cross in the plan of God, the suffering of Jesus Christ, and try to undermine it with their own plan.

August 31, 1984

“I love the cross which you have providentially erected on Mount Krizevac in a very special way. Go there more often and pray.”
 

Our Lady repeatedly leaves an apparition in the sign of the cross on the mountain. It is our sign as Christians, a sign that all across Europe its enemies are taking down.

With the thought that we are living in a special time, a time of God’s Mercy, it is a time we must change our hearts, our mentalities, our actions in line with Jesus’ principles. To take our stand against those who rise against the plan of God. For it is the plan of God to elevate mankind to the dignity of His image instead of the animal he has become.

The cross, before it was raised, laid pointing in four directions, to the North, to the East, to the South, and to the West. Once raised, its power covered the whole earth.

December 31, 1981

“…Almost everyday I am at the foot of the cross. My Son carried the cross. He has suffered on the cross, and by it, He saved the world. Everyday I pray to my Son to forgive the sins of the world.”
 

and the
Community of Caritas
 

Cross Mountain on September 9, 2007 at 6:17 am. To be on Cross Mountain for sunrise is certainly a grace. To be on Cross Mountain for sunrise, during this time of grace while Our Lady is still appearing is even more of a grace. On top of that, to be on Cross Mountain, for sunrise, during the time of grace, on the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross, is a grace that none of us can comprehend. We will only understand when we no longer walk this earth but rather walk among the saints in Heaven, and see the full picture of this time in which we live.