St. Mary's Catholic Church of Tomahawk, WI

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

We are on the twenty fourth ordinary Sunday of year C. In the first reading we hear the Israelites complain about manna that God provided for them each day. Their complaint was about the lack of variety and not about insufficiency. Due to their lack of gratitude and trust in God, they were punished by poisonous serpents. Once they realized their wrong and repented, they were restored and protected by looking at a bronze serpent. Do we turn to God in times of danger and helplessness? Did God rescue us in those moments? How do we share our experiences with others?

The second reading tells us about the outstanding qualities of Jesus: His humility, His glory and His obedience. The climax of this humility occurs with His death on the cross, one of the most shameful forms of execution. But the ironic reversal is that His disgraceful death is the means of revealing His divine glory. Do we try to imbibe these qualities of Jesus? Do we surrender in humble obedience to God with complete trust and confidence that He will always take care of us and be at our side?

In the Gospel we hear that our Lord Himself draws a direct comparison between the lifting up of the bronze serpent and His own exaltation on the cross. Like the bronze serpent, Jesus is the sign for humanity. When we look at Jesus on the cross, we are reminded of our transgressions, which nailed Jesus to the cross. But at the same time, it is through our Lord being lifted up on the cross, that we are healed and saved. Does the death of Jesus affect a transformation in our lives? What do we wish to do to express our love and loyalty to the Lord?

Fr. Aloysius Royan Anthony