Thursday, September 13, 2012

 

THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS

SEPTEMBER 14, 2012
THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS
FRIDAY 23RD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR II

Nm 21:4b-9 / Phil 2:6-11 / Jn 3:13-17

NUMBERS 21:4B-9
From Mount Hor they set out by the Red Sea road to go around the land of Edom. The people were discouraged by the journey and began to com plain against God and Moses, "Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is neither bread nor water here and we are disgusted with this tasteless manna." Yahweh then sent fiery serpents against them. They bit the people and many of the Israelites died. Then the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, speaking against Yahweh and against you. Plead with Yahweh to take the serpents away." Moses pleaded for the people and Yahweh said to him, "Make a fiery serpent and set it on a standard; whoever has been bitten and then looks at it shall live." So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a standard. Whenever a man was bitten, he looked towards the bronze serpent and he lived.

PHILIPPIANS 2:6-11
Though he was in the form of God, he did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking on the nature of a servant, made in human likeness, and in his appearance found as a man. He humbled himself by being obedient to death, death on the cross. That is why God exalted him and gave him the Name which outshines all names, so that at the Name of Jesus all knees should bend in heaven, on earth and among the dead, and all tongues proclaim that Christ Jesus is the Lord

JOHN 3:13-17
No one has ever gone up to heaven except the one who came from heaven, the Son of Man. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. Yes, God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but may have eternal life. God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world; instead, through him the world is to be saved.

REFLECTION
The Cross of Jesus has many different meanings. It signifies the inhumanity of men and the humanity of God. It symbolizes the meaning and value of suffering. It manifests divine forgiveness. It reveals the power of sacrificial love and the victory of life over death.

The Gospel today focuses on the cross as a symbol of God's forgiving love for this evil world. "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son…" so that sinful men and women might find life. God loves this world that is marked indelibly, often brutally, by sin; God loves this world in which too often evil dominates and prevails over good.

God, however, accepted this world as it was, sinful. God gave His Son to this world, and, Jesus says, "The Son has to be lifted up," as the bronze serpent was lifted up in the desert. We know from the first reading that those Jews who were made deathly sick in the desert at the bite of a seraph serpent needed only to look on the bronze serpent to be saved from death. So also anyone in this evil world who looks on Jesus, lifted up on the cross, and believes in him, will have eternal life.

This means, even if there is evil present in the world, we too are to love it. It does not mean, of course, that we are to embrace the world's values or exalt its idols, but simply that we ourselves are to make present in the world Christ's compassionate, life-giving, universal love.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
- Fr. Ismael Zuloaga, SJ
- Mon Torres
- Fleur Torres
- Ditas dela Paz
… for the personal intentions of
- Beny Chua
- Anabelle Alves
… for the eternal repose of the souls of
- Atty. Cipriano Maribojoc
- Maximino Ilagan, Rosita Ilagan, Baby Quicho, Clarita Quicho, Natividad and Hermogenes Diangkinay
Eternal rest grant unto them and may perpetual light shine upon them. May they and all the dearly departed rest in peace.
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Mercedes C. Reyes
- Birthday: Kevin Patrick Ching Syling
- Birthday: Alexis Christian Erno V. Manzano
- Birthday: Giuliano G. Maniacop
- Birthday: Fe Lumboy
- Wedding Anniversary: Francisco & Belinda Ong
- Wedding Anniversary: Eric & Eunice Yu Ampil
- Wedding Anniversary: Estella & David Soon Eng Sin
- In Memoriam (+): Edison Co Yu (Mar 4, 1952 - Sep 14, 1993)+
- In Memoriam (+): David Y. Tan (Nov 9, 1951 - Sept 14, 1981)+
… for families who are in need of healing
… for world peace and reconciliation.

Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most.

Have a good day!

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