(Chapter 21:4b-9)
The theme of this feast is role of the cross in our salvation. From the Christian point of view, the incident described in the book of Numbers foreshadowed the Crucifixion. The Hebrews, who had been delivered from slavery in Egypt, complained about their living conditions as they traveled through the wilderness toward the Promised Land. Because of their ingratitude, God punished them by sending serpents to bite them, and many Hebrews died. When the people acknowledged their sin, God told Moses to mount a serpent on a staff and hold up to where the people could see it. Whoever looked at it was saved from death from the serpents' venom. In the conversation described in today's gospel passage, Jesus tells Nicodemus that, just as the serpent was "lifted up" in the desert, the Son of Man must be lifted up so that all who believe in him will have eternal life. The Hebrews seemed to think that they should be saved without experiencing the realities of everyday life. Perhaps we sometimes think that, too. But this feast reminds us that we are saved because Jesus experienced everything that it means to be human, except for sin. That included death on a cross, the cross that is the gateway to his Resurrection and our salvation.
Responsorial Psalm
(Psalm 78)
This psalm, resonating with the first reading, describes God's mercy toward those who sin against him. We hear this theme again in the gospel reading because mercy, not punishment, is God's wish for his people.
A reading from the Letter to the Philippians
(Chapter 2:6-11)
In this beautiful hymn, Saint Paul reminds us that Jesus "emptied himself" on our behalf, meaning that he took on human nature and submitted to the will of God. The lesson for us is to imitate him in that obedience to God's will.
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John
(Chapter 3:13-17)
Jesus tells Nicodemus that the cross, his complete submission, is a necessary step toward the reward of eternal life for his disciples. After recounting that conversation, the writer tells us that "God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him." That's the heart of our Christian faith. It means that, regardless of how we might fail him, God will forgive us if we return to him in penance.
Photo by Mateus Campos Felipe on Upsplash.Excerpts from the English translation of the Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation (ICEL). All rights reserved.
Bill Ayers was a founder, with the late singer Harry Chapin, of WhyHunger. Bill was a radio and TV broadcaster for 40 years. He is a member of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in Centerport, New York.