PRAYER: “GRANT US, WE PRAY, O LORD, PERSEVERANCE IN OBEYING YOUR WILL, THAT IN OUR DAYS THE PEOPLE DEDICATED TO YOUR SERVICE MAY GROW IN BOTH MERIT AND NUMBER. THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOUR SON, WHO LIVES AND REIGNS WITH YOU IN THE UNITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, GOD, FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN.”
Num 21:4-9, Ps 101:2-3,16-21 and Jn 8:21-30.
Today's scriptures put before us a cure for some of our sicknesses, especially our spiritual sicknesses which no human physician can cure. The Cross on which the Son of Man was crucified and lifted up is the source of our spiritual cure and healing. Believing and meditating on the deeper meaning of the Cross, increases our faith and leads us to find the Father's saving mercy, love and healing for us.
Jesus makes a prediction about his impending death, of course, on the Cross. Jesus' death on the Cross reflects the curse Moses imposed on the doubting Israelites, when bitten by a poisonous serpent, because of their sin of complaining and nagging against God and Moses, they should look at the bronze serpent mounted on a pole and be cured. The pole of Moses with the bronze serpent is a prototype of the Cross of Christ, which contains cure and healing for the sinner. As sinners, we are encouraged to reflectively look at Jesus hanging on the Cross, not just the physical wood, but beyond that as our source of redemption and salvation.
On the cross, a mixture of water and blood came from the pierced side of Jesus, symbolising the Sacraments which contain healing for sinful humanity. In fact, a number of the Sacraments are healing Sacraments. These include, first of all, the Church, which is the Mother of all the Sacraments, then we have the Eucharist, the Sacrament of Penance/Reconciliation and the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. On the cross, Christ conquered Satan and death and won eternal life for us. On the cross, we experience the Father's and the Son's love for us. May we have faith and trust in Jesus, the Lord crucified. May we believe in the Sacraments and always avail ourselves of them to be cured, nourished and strengthened. May we pray that the Lord may forgive us our sins of unbelief, nagging and impatience. May he spare us our sins of arrogance and pride, so that we may accept Jesus as the Son of God and Saviour of sinful humanity. Stay blessed.
WE MEDITATE TODAY, TUESDAY, ON THE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES: ‘THE AGONY IN THE GARDEN, THE SCOURGING AT THE PILLAR, THE CROWNING WITH THORNS, THE CARRYING OF THE CROSS AND THE CRUCIFIXION’ (WE PRAY FOR SORROW FOR SIN, PURITY, COURAGE, PATIENCE, AND PERSEVERANCE) “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners, now and the hour of our death, Amen”.
PRAYER: “GRANT, WE PRAY, ALMIGHTY GOD, THAT, EVER SEEKING WHAT IS DIVINE, WE MAY ALWAYS BE WORTHY TO APPROACH THESE HEAVENLY GIFTS. THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN.”
Rev. Fr. Aloysius Kpiebaya, (00233) 0545462863/0207867239); aloybaya20@yahoo.com
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