Daily Readings - Sun Sep 14 2025

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

Philippians

Chapter 2

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

John

Chapter 3

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

The readings today invite us to reflect on the themes of trust, humility, and salvation. In the first reading from Numbers, we see the Israelites growing weary of their journey and complaining against God and Moses. Their lack of trust leads to a crisis, but God provides a solution through the bronze serpent, which becomes a symbol of healing and salvation for those who gaze upon it. This story reminds us that even in our darkest moments, God remains faithful and offers us a way to restoration. The second reading from Philippians takes us deeper into the mystery of salvation through Jesus Christ. It describes how Jesus, though divine, emptied himself and took on the form of a servant, humbling himself even to death on the Cross. This act of humility is met with God’s exaltation, and Jesus is given a name above all names. This passage teaches us that true greatness comes not from power or status but from self-giving love and obedience. In the Gospel, Jesus draws a connection between the bronze serpent and his own mission. Just as the serpent was lifted up to bring healing to the people, Jesus must be lifted up on the Cross to bring eternal life to all who believe. John 3:16 reminds us of the depth of God’s love for the world, a love so profound that he gave his only Son for our salvation. These readings together call us to trust in God’s providence, embrace humility, and place our faith in Jesus, who was lifted up for the salvation of the world. May we gaze upon the Cross with hearts full of gratitude and trust, knowing that in Jesus, we have eternal life.