FIRST READING: From Mount Hor the children of Israel set out on the Red Sea road, to by-pass the land of Edom. But 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 anyone who has been bitten looks at it, he will recover.” 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 recovered. – Numbers 21:4-9.

SECOND READING: A maskil of Asaph. Attend, my people, to my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in story, drawing lessons from of old. When he slew them, they began to seek him; they again inquired of their God. They remembered that God was their rock, God Most High, their redeemer. But they deceived him with their mouths, lied to him with their tongues. Their hearts were not constant toward him; they were not faithful to his covenant. But God is merciful and forgave their sin; he did not utterly destroy them. Time and again he turned back his anger, unwilling to unleash all his rage. – Psalm 78: 1-38.

HOLY GOSPEL: 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. – John 3:13-17

REFLECTION

“God so loved the world”
Saint John Chrysostom (c.345-407)
Bishop, Doctor of the Church

The cross reconciled us with God, made earth, heaven, caused human beings to mingle with angels, destroyed the citadel of death, broke the strength of the devil, freed the world from error, and founded churches. The cross was the will of the Father, the glory of the Son, the joy of tbe Holy Spirit…

The cross is brighter than the sun, its rays are more brilliant. When the sun is darkened the cross shines forth, for the darkening of the sun does not mean it no longer exists, but that it is outshone by the splendor of the cross. The cross destroyed the bond that wa against us and opened the prison-house of death. The cross is the proof of God’s love, for: «God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son to save those who believe from perishing».

The cross unlocked the gates of paradise, admitted the thief, and led to the kingdom of heaven the human race which, unworthy even of the earth, was on the point of being destroyed.