Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Numbers 21:4b-9; Philippians 2:6-11; John 3:13-17
This weekend the church celebrates the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. It supplants the observance of the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
The Book of Numbers provides the first reading.
Numbers is the fourth book in sequence of the Bible. Attributed originally to Moses, this book is one of the five books of the Pentateuch. These five books also are called the Torah, and together they form the basis of the Jewish religion.
In this reading, recalling the flight of the Hebrew people across the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt toward the land God had promised them, conditions had reached such a bad point that the people grumbled and indeed doubted God.
God had spared the people many things. This time, as punishment for their sins, the people lost God’s protection. The desert then was filled with vipers and poisonous snakes and insects, as indeed it is filled today. Unprotected because of rejecting God, the people were victims of these venomous animals. Many died.
Moses called them back to God. At God’s direction, Moses lifted a serpent on a pole and held the pole aloft. He promised that if any victim of snakebite looked upon this staff, he or she would be healed.
Once more, God provided salvation. By God’s power alone, the people avoided death, even those bitten by dangerous serpents.
The Epistle to the Philippians provides the second reading. Scholars say that this section of Philippians is not a narrative but rather a hymn. It was once sung, probably by the early Christians in their worship.
Even when not set to music, and even without congregational melody, it is magnificent in the depth of its praise of Jesus the Lord.
St. John’s Gospel is the source of the last reading. This reading refers to the section of the Book of Numbers read on this feast for the first reading. It identifies Jesus with the saving act of God, given through Moses, as described in Moses.
It is an obvious reference to the crucified Jesus. In reading this section, recollecting a time in the life of Jesus long before Calvary, it is important to note that the Gospels are not diaries of Jesus, not day-by-day reports of the ministry of Jesus as this ministry unfolded each day.
Rather, they are the memories of Jesus composed years after the Lord by those who knew Jesus, or by those who knew persons close to Jesus. In other words, when this Gospel was written, including this section, Christians knew about the crucifixion. It had occurred a while before. They could connect the event in Numbers with the event of the Lord’s death.
Each event was an expression of God’s saving power, displayed in love.
Reflection
From New Testament times, Christians have realized that in Jesus is their salvation.
Paul proudly declared that he preached Christ, and that indeed he preached Christ crucified.
The cross for Christians is a symbol of the profound love God has for humankind. First, God sent Jesus, the son of God, the second person of the blessed Trinity, as Redeemer. Jesus brought humanity the way to peace.
His advice is simple: Love God above all, despite the costs. This requires loving every person, fully and without qualification.
The crucifixion occurred in Jerusalem, in the Holy Land. Today, news from the Holy Land is constant and disheartening. Killings and horror in Gaza trouble the heart of any decent person.
As Pope Leo XIV urges, take note of the suffering of the people in Gaza. Feel for them. Pray for them. Most of all, remember, the fearful events in Gaza need not occur.
Love God. Love each other — truly, fully, actively and without reservation.