5th Week of Lent 2026 - Tuesday - Remedy for the serpent's poison

 

For forty years, God had provided for his people as they wandered the desert, giving them manna from heaven. God had fed them, God had sustained them. And yet, as we heard in the reading from the book of numbers today, “the people complained against God and Moses: We are disgusted with this wretched food!”

With their hearts hardened against God, the Israelites became subject to the deadly poison of serpents.

There is a bit of a parallel to Adam and Eve in the garden. God had provided food aplenty for Adam and Eve. But they were discontented with the food God provided, and looked to the fruit of the forbidden tree. They too became subject to the deadly poison of the serpent at the forbidden tree. They were poisoned by the serpent’s bite, and that poison brought death, not only for them, but for the entire human race.

The story from the Book of Numbers looks back to Adam and Eve and the consequences of sin, but it also foreshadows the victory of the New Adam in the Gospel.

The bronze serpent, mounted on a pole, becoming a source of life for the poisoned Israelites, foreshadows the saving death of Jesus Christ, mounted on the cross, which becomes a source of eternal life for all who believe in Him.

The drama of Adam and Eve, the drama of sin, the drama of the Israelites in the desert, plays over and over again in our lives.  We allow trust, love, and gratitude to God to die in our hearts whenever we turn to sin. We allow ourselves to grow discontent with the good food God has provided for us and seek to satisfy our hunger for God in so many artificial substitutes. We allow the serpent to whisper to us, that we should grasp for more than what God has provided. The story warns us of the folly of turning our hearts from God and the consequences that inevitably ensue.

For us and for all people, Jesus is the remedy for this cycle of sin and death. Lifted up on the Cross, He becomes the healing we could never provide for ourselves. To break the cycle, we must turn our ears away from the poisonous words of the serpent, but to turn our eyes to Christ with faith.

Lent teaches us to recognize the poison of sin in our lives and to turn again to the Crucified One. If we look to Him with repentance and trust, He will heal what sin has wounded and lead us from death to life for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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Trusting in the mercy of God, and turning our eyes to Christ lifted up for our salvation, let us bring before the Father our prayers and petitions.

For the Church, that she may faithfully proclaim Christ crucified as the true remedy for sin and death, and lead many souls to repentance and healing.

For the defense of our nation from all threats foreign and domestic; for a quick and peaceful resolution to all violent conflict and safety for all first responders.

For those preparing to receive the Easter Sacraments, that by God’s grace they may be protected from evil and drawn ever more deeply into the saving mystery of Christ’s Cross and Resurrection.

For those whose hearts have grown hardened through sin, complaint, or ingratitude, that the Lord may soften their hearts and restore in them trust, love, and gratitude, let us pray to the Lord. Lord hear our prayer.

For the sick, the suffering, and those burdened by illness of body, mind, or spirit, that the healing power of Christ may strengthen them and give them peace, let us pray to the Lord. Lord hear our prayer.

For the faithful departed, that having looked to Christ in faith during this life, they may now behold Him face to face in the glory of heaven, let us pray to the Lord. Lord hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, you sent your Son into the world to heal us from the poison of sin and lead us from death to life. Hear the prayers we place before you, and grant them according to your holy will. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

 

5th Week of Lent 2022 - Tuesday - Listen to his love

 The Israelites in the desert had taken their eyes off of what God was doing for them, and allowed the poison of ingratitude fill their hearts.  God was freeing them from slavery and leading them to the promised land, but their complaints and hardness of hearts allowed poisonous and deadly ingratitude to direct their thoughts, words, and actions. The deadly poison of the Saraph Serpants was a symbol of the even deadlier poison of sin that reigned in them. The brush with death, like for many people, became a wake up call, they realized they sinned and repented. God provided a remedy for the poisonous snake bites but instructing Moses to place the bronze serpent on the pole. All who looked at it would live.

In the Gospel, the Pharisees allowed the poison of pride to fill their hearts. Failing to recognize that Jesus was truly the Son of God, Jesus told the Pharisees that they would die in their sins unless they looked upon him and believed that he was God.  

In these dark times, many have allowed sinful pride and sinful gratitude to dominate their lives. Man Catholics even have stopped looking to the Crucified for life. Many Catholics do not have crucifixes in their homes, they do not go to Church, and worse, they believe there’s nothing wrong. But, it is the task of faithful Christians to hold him up for the world to see—in our speech, in our behaviors, and in our prayers, that they may see him and believe.

The great lover of the Crucified, St. Paul of the Cross, would often go from parish to parish, preaching parish missions.  When he would preach these missions, he would often hold out to the congregation a crucifix, and simply holding the crucifix out for all to see, he would say, “listen to his love.”

He said, "When you are alone in your room, take your crucifix, kiss its five wounds reverently, tell it to preach to you a little sermon, and then listen to the words of eternal life that it speaks to your heart; listen to the pleading of the thorns, the nails, the precious Blood. Oh, what an eloquent sermon!"

Look at the hands of Jesus, always open during life, still open, still giving, healing to the last drop of blood. Look at the feet of Jesus, which climbed the mountain of Calvary, now lifted up and nailed to the cross for our salvation. Look at the side of Jesus from which flowed the blood and water, the fountain of the sacramental life of the Church

If you know of any Catholics who have stopped looking to Jesus, bring them to Mass with you on Palm Sunday and Good Friday. Help them to listen to his love, to see that he reaches out to them from the cross with tremendous love. We are to help them embrace Him, as he longs to bring them mercy, strength, and peace, as he has for us.  As we near Holy Week, may each of us keep his tremendous outpouring of love ever before our eyes, in our mind, and in our hearts, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That God may be pleased to increase faith and understanding in the catechumens and candidates who approach the sacraments of initiation in the coming Paschal Solemnity. 

That those in need may find assistance in the charity of faithful Christians and that peace and security may be firmly established in all places.

For strength to resist temptation, and the humility to sincerely repent of sin.

That through fasting and self-denial, we may be ever more conformed to Christ.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in your divine mystery may always benefit from your assistance.

October 4 2019 - St. Francis of Assisi and the Crucifix

During the period of his life in which he experienced great spiritual awakening, St. Francis would go to the old ruined chapel of San Damiano to pray. In that dilapidated oratory still hung a Byzantine wooden crucifix, painted in red, gold, and black, depicting  not the tortured Christ of later art, not with the crown of thorns, but a glorious halo, and with the large, open, eyes of the Crucified gazing back upon the faithful, showing his wounds, perhaps as an invitation to imitate him in his Passion, that we too may experience his glory.

We know well the story of how Francis heard the voice of Jesus speaking to him from that crucifix, “Francis, Go repair my Church, which as you see is falling completely in ruin.” And how Francis first, took the words literally, but then went on to bring great renewal to the Church this his life of poverty, penance and evangelization.

Lesser known, perhaps, are the words that Francis spoke back to that crucifix, which contain a summation of his desire to serve the Lord, a prayerful petition for the grace he needed to be faithful to his calling: “Most High glorious God, bring light to the darkness of my heart. Give me right faith, certain hope, and perfect charity. Give me, Lord, wisdom and discernment, so I can always observe your truth and Holy Will.”

Francis experienced a profound out-pouring of God’s love when he gazed upon the crucifix, and desired to respond in kind, with a sacrificial love that embraced suffering for the good of the Church.
“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world,” we heard in Paul’s words to the Galatians this morning. Francis, like Paul sought that perfect-identification with and imitation of the crucified one who suffers for our salvation. And Like Paul, St. Francis would go on to bear the marks of Jesus on his body, signs of his union with Christ in his willingness to suffer for the Gospel.

May Francis assist us in embracing the cross, in seeking the right faith, certain hope, and perfect charity of the Christian life, the wisdom and discernment to observe God truth and Holy Will for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For Pope Francis on this his patronal feast, for the grace to bring renewal to those parts of the Church which are crumbling—a renewal of true faith, where faith has diminished or been corrupted.
For blessings upon all members of the Franciscan Orders, for vocations and that their witness may bring renewal to the Church.
For hope for the despairing and all those who suffer.
For the grace of perfect charity to fill our hearts for those in need.
That all God’s Holy People will be filled with the wisdom and discernment needed to know and obey God’s Holy Will.
For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for the deceased priests and religious and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.
Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.

5th Week of Lent 2018 - Tuesday - When the Son of Man is lifted up

“When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM.”

Like the bronze serpent which was salvation for those who looked on it in that first reading, Jesus lifted up on the cross becomes salvation for all who look on him in faith.

Jesus told people they would die in their sins unless they believed that He was God. So it is the task of the Christian to constantly lift up Jesus, that belief in Him may spread, and souls may be saved. Lifting up Jesus unleashes a life-changing, parish-changing, and world-changing power. Therefore, we must devote ourselves to ensuring that Jesus is constantly being lifted up.

How can we lift up Jesus for others to see?

Jesus is lifted up in the preaching and teaching of the Church.  Next time an adult education or scripture study opportunity is offered, invite someone who is struggling with their faith to join you.
As he is lifted up in the Eucharist at Mass, we can invite family and neighbors to attend mass with us, even daily mass. Bring a friend to Mass, then take them out for coffee.

Jesus is lifted up in the monstrance at Eucharistic Adoration.  There are many people who are hungering for a deeper, intimate prayer life who have never visited a Eucharistic Adoration. You can invite them next time you make a holy hour!

Jesus is to be lifted up in our speech.  Many Christians don't share their faith with others, but many are hungering to know Jesus, to know how he changes lives. In our efforts of spreading the Gospel, that personal testimony of how faith in Jesus Christ has changed you is so important. Speak about the peace you receive when you make a good confession, the graces you’ve received through fasting and prayer and engaging in works of charity, the healing you’ve received through forgiving an enemy.

Another way to lift him up is by displaying a crucifix. if you visit a friend or family member who doesn’t have one in their home, you can make a gift and encourage them to display the crucifix. Or give a crucifix as a gift to a poor college student in your life to display in their dorm room.

May our Lenten observances help us to lift up Jesus in our words, our choices, our manner of life, that the Lord may draw all men to himself through us, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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That God may be pleased to increase faith and understanding in the catechumens and candidates who approach the sacraments of initiation in the coming Paschal Solemnity.
That those in need may find assistance in the charity of faithful Christians and that peace and security may be firmly established in all places.
For strength to resist temptation, and the humility to sincerely repent of sin.
That through fasting and self-denial, we may be ever more conformed to Christ.
For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.
Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in your divine mystery may always benefit from your assistance.