September 14, 2021

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Lectionary: 638

Reading I

Nm 21:4b-9

With their patience worn out by the journey,
the people complained against God and Moses,
“Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert,
where there is no food or water?
We are disgusted with this wretched food!”

In punishment the LORD sent among the people saraph serpents,
which bit the people so that many of them died.
Then the people came to Moses and said,
“We have sinned in complaining against the LORD and you.
Pray the LORD to take the serpents from us.”
So Moses prayed for the people, and the LORD said to Moses,
“Make a saraph and mount it on a pole,
and if any who have been bitten look at it, they will live.”
Moses accordingly made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole,
and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent 
looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.    

Responsorial Psalm

78:1bc-2, 34-35, 36-37, 38

1.  (see 7b) Do not forget the works of the Lord!
   Hearken, my people, to my teaching;
       incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
   I will open my mouth in a parable,
       I will utter mysteries from of old.
   R.    Do not forget the works of the Lord!
   While he slew them they sought him
       and inquired after God again,
   Remembering that God was their rock
       and the Most High God, their redeemer.
   R.    Do not forget the works of the Lord!
   But they flattered him with their mouths
       and lied to him with their tongues,
   Though their hearts were not steadfast toward him,
       nor were they faithful to his covenant.
   R.    Do not forget the works of the Lord!
   But he, being merciful, forgave their sin
       and destroyed them not;
   Often he turned back his anger
       and let none of his wrath be roused.
   R.    Do not forget the works of the Lord!

Reading II

Phil 2:6-11

Brothers and sisters:
    Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,
        did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.
    Rather, he emptied himself,
    taking the form of a slave,
    coming in human likeness;
    and found human in appearance,
    he humbled himself,
    becoming obedient to death,
        even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
    and bestowed on him the name
    that is above every name,
    that at the name of Jesus
    every knee should bend,
    of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
    and every tongue confess that
    Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.

Alleluia

1. Alleluia, alleluia.
   We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you,
   because by your Cross you have redeemed the world.
   R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Jn 3:13-17

Jesus said to Nicodemus:
“No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who 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 might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him. 

Reflection: MEANINGFULNESS OF THE CROSS

This passage from the book of Numbers is something which would have been an abomination to the Jews: to set up an image... that too of a serpent! That was the temptation that arises from their mingling with people who observed fertility cults. However, it is very nicely originated in holy Moses and God himself for that matter. It provides a very important image of our having to look up to the crucified Christ in order to be healed of the poison of sin. In the letter to the Philippians we have Jesus who humbled himself and became obedient unto death and that death on a cross. And God raised him up so that every knee should bend at the name of Jesus and all tongues confess that Jesus is Lord. In the gospel of Saint John this took place so that we should look up at the cross of Christ and be saved. All the three readings have the idea of looking up at the cross and that too to be freed from sin and to find salvation. Looking up at the cross to be saved looks a bit like magic. But when each one has to take up his own cross and follow Jesus it does not look like magic anymore. It is more a program of life. To share in the salvation Christ brought to us through this very holy cross we too must take up our crosses and follow Him.