Readings for Holy Cross Day (Trinity 13) – 14th September 2025Collect

Collect for Holy Cross Day

Almighty God, who in the passion of your blessed Son made an instrument of

painful death to be for us the means of life and peace: grant us so to glory in the

cross of Christ that we may gladly suffer for his sake; who is alive and reigns

with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Amen.

A reading from the book of Numbers, chapter 21, verses 4 to 9

From Mount Hor, the Israelites set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around

the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way. The people

spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of

Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we

detest this miserable food.” Then the LORD sent poisonous serpents among the

people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. The people came

to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against

you; pray to the LORD to take away the serpents from us.” So, Moses prayed

for the people. And the LORD said to Moses, “Make a poisonous serpent, and

set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.” So, Moses

made a serpent of bronze and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit

someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.

A reading from Paul’s letter to the Philippians, chapter 2, verses 6 to 11

Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with

God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a

slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he

humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death - even death on a

cross. Therefore, God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is

above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in

heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that

Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

A reading from the gospel according to John, chapter 3, verses 13 to 17

Jesus said to Nicodemus: ‘No one has ascended into heaven except the one

who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the

serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever

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 may not perish but may

have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn

the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.’

Second collect

Faithful God, whose Son bore our sins in his body on the tree and gave us this

sacrament to show forth his death until he comes: give us grace to glory in the

cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, for he is our salvation, our life and our hope,

who reigns as Lord, now and for ever.

Amen.