Daily Catholic Mass Readings for September 14, 2023
First Reading: Numbers 21.4-9 or Philippians 2.6-11
4Then they set out from mount Hor, by the way that leads to the Red Sea, to circle around the land of Edom. And the people began to tire of their journey and hardships5And speaking against God and Moses, they said: "Why did you lead us away from Egypt, so as to die in the wilderness? Bread is lacking; there are no waters. Our soul is now nauseous over this very light food.6For this reason, the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, which wounded or killed many of them7And so they went to Moses, and they said: "We have sinned, because we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray, so that he may take away these serpents from us." And Moses prayed for the people8And the Lord said to him: "Make a bronze serpent, and place it as a sign. Whoever, having been struck, gazes upon it, shall live.9Therefore, Moses made a bronze serpent, and he placed it as a sign. When those who had been struck gazed upon it, they were healed
6who, though he was in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be seized7Instead, he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men, and accepting the state of a man8He humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, even the death of the Cross9Because of this, God has also exalted him and has given him a name which is above every name10so that, at the name of Jesus, every knee would bend, of those in heaven, of those on earth, and of those in hell11and so that every tongue would confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father
Psalm 78
1The understanding of Asaph. O my people, attend to my law. Incline your ears to the words of my mouth2I will open my mouth in parables. I will speak about concepts that are from the beginning3We have heard and known such great things, as our fathers have described to us4These things have not been hidden from their sons in any generation: declaring the praises of the Lord, and his virtues, and the wonders that he has done5And he has received testimony with Jacob, and he has set a law within Israel. Such great things, he has commanded our fathers, so as to make these things known to their sons6so that another generation might know them, and so that the sons, who will be born and who will grow up, shall describe them to their sons7So then, may they put their hope in God, and may they not forget the works of God, and may they seek his commandments8May they not become like their fathers, a perverse and exasperating generation: a generation that does not straighten their heart and whose spirit is not trustworthy with God9The sons of Ephraim, who bend and shoot the bow, have been turned back in the day of battle10They have not kept the covenant of God. And they were not willing to walk in his law11And they have been forgetful of his benefits, and of his miracle, which he revealed to them12He performed miracles in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Tanis13He broke the sea and he led them through. And he stationed the waters, as if in a vessel14And he led them with a cloud by day, and with illumination by fire throughout the night15He broke through the rock in the wasteland, and he gave them to drink, as if from the great abyss16He brought forth water from the rock, and he conducted the waters, as if they were rivers17And yet, they continued to sin against him. In a waterless place, they provoked the Most High with resentment18And they tempted God in their hearts, by asking for food according to their desires19And they spoke badly about God. They said, "Would God be able to prepare a table in the desert20He struck the rock, and so waters flowed and the torrents flooded, but would even he be able to provide bread, or provide a table, for his people?21Therefore, the Lord heard, and he was dismayed, and a fire was kindled within Jacob, and an anger ascended into Israel22For they neither put their trust in God, nor did they hope in his salvation23And he commanded the clouds from above, and he opened the doors of heaven24And he rained down manna upon them to eat, and he gave them the bread of heaven25Man ate the bread of Angels. He sent them provisions in abundance26He transferred the south wind from heaven, and, in his virtue, he brought in the Southwest wind27And he rained down flesh upon them, as if it were dust, and feathered birds, as if they were the sand of the sea28And they fell down in the midst of their camp, encircling their tabernacles29And they ate until they were greatly satisfied, and he brought to them according to their desires30They were not cheated out of what they wanted. Their food was still in their mouth31and then the wrath of God came upon them. And he slew the fat ones among them, and he impeded the elect of Israel32In all these things, they continued to sin, and they were not trustworthy with his miracles33And their days faded away into vanity, and their years with haste34When he slew them, then they sought him. And they returned, and they drew near to him in the early morning35And they were mindful that God is their helper and that the Most High God is their redeemer36And they chose him with their mouth, and then they lied to him with their tongue37For their heart was not upright with him, nor have they been living faithfully in his covenant38Yet he is merciful, and he will pardon their sins. And he will not destroy them. And he has abundantly turned aside his own wrath. And he did not enflame his wrath entirely39And he remembered that they are flesh: with a spirit that goes forth and does not return40How often did they provoke him in the desert and stir him to wrath in a waterless place41And they turned back and tempted God, and they exasperated the Holy One of Israel42They did not remember his hand, in the day that he redeemed them from the hand of the one troubling them43Thus, he positioned his signs in Egypt and his wonders in the field of Tanis44And he turned their rivers into blood, along with their rain showers, so that they could not drink45He sent among them the common fly, and it devoured them, and the frog, and it scattered them46And he gave up their fruits to mold and their labors to the locust47And he slew their vineyards with hail and their mulberry trees with severe frost48And he delivered their cattle to the hail and their possessions to fire49And he sent the wrath of his indignation among them: indignation and wrath and tribulation, sent forth by evil angels50He made way for the path of his anger. He did not spare their souls from death. And he enclosed their beasts of burden in death51And he struck all the first-born in the land of Egypt: the first-fruits of all their labor in the tabernacles of Ham52And he took away his own people like sheep, and he led them through the wilderness like a flock53And he led them out in hope, and they did not fear. And the sea covered their enemies54And he led them to the mountain of his sanctification: the mountain that his right hand had acquired. And he cast out the Gentiles before their face. And he divided their land by lot to them, with a line of distribution55And he caused the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tabernacles56Yet they tempted and aggravated God Most High, and they did not keep his testaments57And they turned themselves aside, and they did not serve the covenant. In the same manner as their fathers, they were turned backwards, like a crooked bow58They impelled him to anger on their hills, and they provoked him to rivalry with their graven images59God listened, and he spurned them, and he reduced Israel greatly, almost to nothing60And he rejected the tabernacle of Shiloh, his tabernacle where he had dwelt among men61And he delivered their virtue into captivity, and their beauty into the hands of the enemy62And he enclosed his people with the sword, and he spurned his inheritance63Fire consumed their young men, and their virgins were not lamented64Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows did not weep65And the Lord was awakened, as if out of sleep, and like a powerful man impaired by wine66And he struck his enemies on the back. He gave them over to everlasting disgrace67And he rejected the tabernacle of Joseph, and he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim68But he chose the tribe of Judah: mount Zion, which he loved69And he built up his sanctuary, like a single-horned beast, in the land that he founded for all ages70And he chose his servant David, and he took him from the flocks of the sheep: he received him from following the ewes with their young71in order to pasture Jacob his servant and Israel his inheritance72And he fed them with the innocence of his heart. And he led them with the understanding of his hands
Gospel: John 3.13-17
13And no one has ascended to heaven, except the one who descended from heaven: the Son of man who is in heaven14And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so also must the Son of man be lifted up15so that whoever believes in him may not perish, but may have eternal life16For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that all who believe in him may not perish, but may have eternal life17For God did not send his Son into the world, in order to judge the world, but in order that the world may be saved through him
Sermon
In today's readings, we journey through two profound narratives that weave together themes of faith, redemption, and divine love. The first reading from Numbers recounts the Israelites' arduous journey through the wilderness, marked by their discontent and rebellion against God. Their complaints about the hardships and the manna lead to a divine judgment in the form of fiery serpents. Yet, in their repentance, Moses intercedes, and God provides a symbol of salvation—the bronze serpent. Those who gaze upon it are healed, illustrating the power of faith and God's merciful response to repentance.
The Gospel of John draws a poignant connection between this ancient story and the mission of Jesus Christ. Just as Moses lifted the bronze serpent for the salvation of the people, Jesus must be lifted up on the cross. This act of sacrifice embodies God's boundless love, as expressed in John 3:16, where He gives His only Son for the salvation of the world. The serpent in the wilderness becomes a prefiguration of Christ's redemptive work, emphasizing that faith in Him leads to eternal life. This connection underscores the continuity of God's plan of salvation, where looking upon Jesus with faith brings us healing and eternal life.
In our daily lives, we often find ourselves in our own wilderness, facing challenges and uncertainties. Like the Israelites, we may grumble against the journey, questioning God's plan. Yet, these readings remind us to trust in God's love and providence. Just as the bronze serpent required the people to look upon it with faith, we too must fix our gaze on Christ. In times of trial, let us turn to Jesus, the ultimate symbol of salvation, and find strength in His love. May we reflect on our own faith journeys, embracing trust and gratitude, and may our hearts remain open to the healing power of God's grace.