20200914 THE CROSS AS THE ANTIDOTE FOR SIN
14 September, 2020, Monday, The Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour: Red.
First reading | Numbers 21:4-9 © |
If anyone was bitten by a serpent, he looked up at the bronze serpent and lived
On the way through the wilderness the people lost patience. They spoke against God and against Moses, ‘Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die in this wilderness? For there is neither bread nor water here; we are sick of this unsatisfying food.’
At this God sent fiery serpents among the people; their bite brought death to many in Israel. The people came and said to Moses, ‘We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Intercede for us with the Lord to save us from these serpents.’ Moses interceded for the people, and the Lord answered him, ‘Make a fiery serpent and put it on a standard. If anyone is bitten and looks at it, he shall live.’ So Moses fashioned a bronze serpent which he put on a standard, and if anyone was bitten by a serpent, he looked at the bronze serpent and lived.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 77(78):1-2,34-38 © |
Never forget the deeds of the Lord.
Give heed, my people, to my teaching;
turn your ear to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth in a parable
and reveal hidden lessons of the past.
Never forget the deeds of the Lord.
When he slew them then they would seek him,
return and seek him in earnest.
They would remember that God was their rock,
God the Most High their redeemer.
Never forget the deeds of the Lord.
But the words they spoke were mere flattery;
they lied to him with their lips.
For their hearts were not truly with him;
they were not faithful to his covenant.
Never forget the deeds of the Lord.
Yet he who is full of compassion
forgave them their sin and spared them.
So often he held back his anger
when he might have stirred up his rage.
Never forget the deeds of the Lord.
When a Feast of the Lord falls on a weekday, there is no reading after the Psalm and before the Gospel.
Gospel Acclamation |
Alleluia, alleluia!
We adore you, O Christ,
and we bless you;
because by your cross
you have redeemed the world.
Alleluia!
Gospel | John 3:13-17 © |
God sent his Son so that through him the world might be saved
Jesus said to Nicodemus:
‘No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who came down from heaven,
the Son of Man who is in heaven;
and the Son of Man must be lifted up
as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.
Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost
but may have eternal life.
For God sent his Son into the world
not to condemn the world,
but so that through him the world might be saved.’
THE CROSS AS THE ANTIDOTE FOR SIN
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [NUMBERS 21:4-9; PHILIPPIANS 2:6-11; JOHN 3:13-17 ]
In the first reading from the book of Numbers, we read the account of the Israelites’ rebellion against Moses and God. “They spoke against God and against Moses, ‘Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die in this wilderness? For there is neither bread nor water here: we are sick of this unsatisfying food.'” They were attached to their little luxuries when they were in Egypt. Now living on just the basics of life in the desert, they complained and whined. They lost faith in God, as if He did not know what He was doing. As the responsorial psalm said, they forgot the deeds of the Lord. This was why they disobeyed the commandments of God. (cf Ps 78)
Therefore, “God sent fiery serpents among the people; their bite brought death to many in Israel.” When they appealed to Moses to intercede for them for sinning against the Lord, God told Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and put it on a standard. If anyone is bitten and looks at it, he shall live.” By making them look at the serpent lifted up on pole, the Lord wanted the people to be reminded of their sins and spend time reflecting on their attachment, ingratitude and lack of faith in God’s providence. For this reason, those who looked at the serpent on the standard, seeing not just their sins but also the consequences of their sins, and affirmed their faith in God were healed through the very sins they committed.
We, too, if we want to find healing must become aware of our own sinfulness. What are the sins that prevent us from finding true happiness in life? Firstly, like the Israelites, we are attached to the things and the pleasures of this world. We cannot live without the comforts and luxuries of life. We will do anything to acquire a luxurious and extravagant lifestyle. Secondly, we are too proud to listen to God. In a world of relativism, each one claims that we have the truth. We believe only in ourselves and no one else. Our pride causes us to be both arrogant and ignorant of the truth of life. But the greatest of all sins today is not just the sin of impiety but the rejection of God in the world today. Atheism and secularism are the causes of the loss of faith in God because God has been systematically removed, first from public life and then in religious institutions; and finally, in our homes.
How, then, can we find the antidote to materialism, relativism and secularism today? How can we overcome our attachment to the things of this world, our ignorance and our lack of a God experience? God has provided us a way out of this sinful environment we find ourselves. The ultimate means of salvation is through the Crucified Christ on the cross. What we read in the book of Numbers was but a foreshadowing of Jesus’ death on the cross. The Lord said to Nicodemus: “No one has gone up to heaven except the one who came down from heaven, the Son of Man who is in heaven; and the Son of Man must be lifted up as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” Indeed, it was through the lifting up of Jesus on the Cross and then at His resurrection that He gained salvation for the world. By His death and resurrection, the Lord won victory over sin and death.
This is why we celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The cross is exalted on high for us to contemplate so that we can reap the fruits for our sanctification and salvation, just like the Israelites who looked at the serpent on the standard to find healing. This is why we wear the cross or the crucifix around our neck or hang it on our walls. It is not meant to be a superstitious charm, least of all, an ornament for display. Rather, it is to remind ourselves that the cross is the way to find salvation, healing, forgiveness and true freedom. What we wear is an act of faith in the passion, death and resurrection of Christ in saving us from sin, death and the Evil One.
How, then, should we contemplate on the Cross and Passion of Christ? We have the scripture text from the letter of St Paul to the Philippians to guide us in our contemplation. The cross is the antidote to the sins of pride and attachment, and most of all, the answer to secularism and atheism.
Firstly, the humility of God in assuming our humanity is the answer to human pride. Man wants to think that he is God. He wants to be in charge of life and be in control of everything. He does not want to be dependent on anyone, not even God. He trusts no one but himself. He does not leave anything to chance. However, God by becoming man shows His humility by being one of us and one with us. He wants us to value our humanity and our dignity as His creation. “The state of Jesus Christ was divine, yet he did not cling to his equality with God but emptied himself to assume the condition of a slave, and became as men are.” Indeed, the context of this text was St Paul’s exhortation of the Christians to imitate Christ’s humility by doing “nothing from selfish ambition or conceit” but for the sake of unity in the Body of Christ. (Phil 2:1-5)
Secondly, our attachment to the pleasures of this world, our pride and the glories of the world is overcome by imitating Christ who stripped Himself not just of His divinity to assume our humanity, but He did it in such a way that He chose the lowest condition, which is that of a slave. As if it was not enough, “he was humbler yet, even to accepting death, death on a cross.” St Paul, writing to the Corinthians, said, “For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.” (2 Cor 8:9) Jesus Himself told one of the potential disciples, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” (Lk 9:58) He spoke in the beatitudes of the blessedness of poverty. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt 5:3)
Thirdly, by contemplating on the cross, we see the seriousness of sin. Our sins have crucified our Lord to the Cross. St Peter wrote, “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.” (Lk 9:22-25) Christ was innocently punished for our sins because of the wickedness of men who sought for power and glory.
Fourthly, by contemplating on the cross, we see at the same time, the self-emptying love of God, unconditional, without reservation and complete. Jesus said, “God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life. For God sent his Son into the world not to condemn the world, but so that through him the world might be saved.” God desires to save us, not to condemn us. As St Paul wrote, “What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn?” (Rom 8:31-34)
Finally, by contemplating on the cross, we know that the cross is not the last word but the resurrection. “God raised him high and gave him the name which is above all other names so that all beings in the heavens, on earth and in the underworld, should bend the knee at the name of Jesus and that every tongue should acclaim Jesus Christ as Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Indeed, on the cross, God reveals Himself in ways beyond the wisdom and understanding of man. (1 Cor 2:6-9) God uses the death of His Son to overcome the fear of death which comes from sin. (cf Rom 6:23) By His resurrection, He destroyed death and sin, which is the sting of death. (cf 1 Cor 15:55f) Indeed, the Cross is truly the means of our victory over sin, hatred and death. The Crucified Christ is the answer to the question of God!
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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