On the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, Fr. Robert reflects on three intertwined themes in Christ’s announcement to His disciples as He prepared for His crucifixion, burial, and resurrection: judgment, repentance, and forgiveness. “Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (John 12:31–32). He reveals their intrinsic connection and how together they shape the Christian life. In this vision, the Christian is not one who withdraws from the world, but one who actively engages it—refusing to turn away from the realities of the present age while bearing witness to the life of the Cross. By doing this Christians, personally and corporately as the Church, reveal that God’s judgement seeks to forgive, heal, and transfigure and not punish, isolate, and destroy.