Saturday, 14 September 2024. Readings: Numbers 21:4-9, Ps. 78:1-2,34-38, John 3:13-17
“As Moses lifted the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” (John 3:14-15)
Today, we celebrate the Cross not as a crude element of murder but as the object of Christ’s victory over death. Just as a tree was the source of man’s downfall, it became necessary that when God restored man to Himself in Christ, correcting the error of the first man, a tree would again play a vital role. The object of sin becomes the object of redemption.
- As Jesus said in our Gospel passage today, what Moses did in the wilderness foreshadows the Cross of Calvary. When the Israelites sinned in the wilderness, God’s anger blazed upon them, and fiery serpents bit the people. They cried for mercy, and God instructed Moses to set up a bronze serpent so that anyone who looked at it would be healed. The bronze serpent symbolises the Cross upon which Jesus, the Son of Man, was lifted. When we look at the Cross with faith, we receive healing from the bites of the physical and spiritual fiery serpents around us.
- It is one thing to notice the presence of the Cross in a Church, on the wall, or in your home, but a different thing to look at it with devotion. Meditate on the Cross; recall the passion of Jesus Christ. Place yourself in the crowd standing at the Cross’s feet on Good Friday. Ask God for pardon for your sins. Beg Jesus to remember you like that thief who was crucified beside Jesus. When I sat down to look at the Crucifix, I noticed certain details:
- Firstly, the size of the Cross compared to the size of Christ hanging on it. It dawned on me that our crosses would always be bigger than us.
- Two, the look on Jesus’ face; he wasn’t frowning. I got the message that we can only carry our Cross with hearts free of bitterness. Not even those killing us deserve our anger.
- Three, the people at the foot of the Cross. While the crowd jeered and mocked, soldiers did their job, Jews supervised, and Mary, the Mother of Jesus, was there supporting her son with a loving maternal gaze. It dawned on me that when we suffer, the crowd will never support us, but one person we can always trust to be on our side is Mary, the Mother of God.
- Today’s feast began with discovering the Holy Cross of Jesus Christ around where Jesus was crucified. In identifying this particular Cross, a sick man received instant healing when placed on it.
- Why is the Cross so powerful? 1. It symbolises the Trinity. 2. It is the object upon which Jesus Christ defeated the devil. 3. On the Cross, Jesus asked pardon for our sins. 4. On the Cross, Jesus said: “It is finished.”
- We celebrate the Cross of Jesus Christ today and the various crosses we bear as Christians. In the Beatitudes, Jesus told us to “rejoice and be glad” when we are persecuted, insulted, excluded, oppressed or denied our rights for His Sake. This is what we are doing today – rejoicing in our sufferings, knowing that for every pain we endure, a crown awaits us in heaven.
Let us pray: Almighty, ever-living God, we thank you for the healing power of your Cross. Teach us to value it and the crosses we bear daily for your sake. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (The Exaltation of the Holy Cross - Feast. Bible Study: Numbers 21:4-9, Ps. 78:1-2,34-38, John 3:13-17).
@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu
No comments:
Post a Comment