Daily Catholic Mass Readings for March 28, 2023
First Reading: Numbers 21.4-9
4From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way.5And the people spoke against God and against Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food."6Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.7And the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people.8And the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live."9So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.
Psalm 102
1Hear my prayer, O LORD; let my cry come to you!2Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress! Incline your ear to me; answer me speedily in the day when I call!3For my days pass away like smoke, and my bones burn like a furnace.4My heart is struck down like grass and has withered; I forget to eat my bread.5Because of my loud groaning my bones cling to my flesh.6I am like a desert owl of the wilderness, like an owl of the waste places;7I lie awake; I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop.8All the day my enemies taunt me; those who deride me use my name for a curse.9For I eat ashes like bread and mingle tears with my drink,10because of your indignation and anger; for you have taken me up and thrown me down.11My days are like an evening shadow; I wither away like grass.12But you, O LORD, are enthroned forever; you are remembered throughout all generations.13You will arise and have pity on Zion; it is the time to favor her; the appointed time has come.14For your servants hold her stones dear and have pity on her dust.15Nations will fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth will fear your glory.16For the LORD builds up Zion; he appears in his glory;17he regards the prayer of the destitute and does not despise their prayer.18Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet to be created may praise the LORD:19that he looked down from his holy height; from heaven the LORD looked at the earth,20to hear the groans of the prisoners, to set free those who were doomed to die,21that they may declare in Zion the name of the LORD, and in Jerusalem his praise,22when peoples gather together, and kingdoms, to worship the LORD.23He has broken my strength in midcourse; he has shortened my days.24"O my God," I say, "take me not away in the midst of my days--you whose years endure throughout all generations!"25Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.26They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,27but you are the same, and your years have no end.28The children of your servants shall dwell secure; their offspring shall be established before you.
Gospel: John 8.21-30
21So he said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come."22So the Jews said, "Will he kill himself, since he says, 'Where I am going, you cannot come'?"23He said to them, "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.24I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins."25So they said to him, "Who are you?" Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been telling you from the beginning.26I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him."27They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father.28So Jesus said to them, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.29And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him."30As he was saying these things, many believed in him.
Sermon
The first reading from Numbers recounts the Israelites' journey through the wilderness, where they grow weary and complain against God and Moses. Their lack of faith and gratitude leads to a punishment of fiery serpents, but when they repent, Moses intercedes, and God provides a sign of salvation: a bronze serpent lifted high. Those who gaze upon it are healed. This story reminds us that even in our struggles and doubts, God offers us a way to return to Him and find healing.
In the Gospel, Jesus speaks to the Pharisees about His divine origin and destiny. He emphasizes that He comes from above and speaks the truth of the Father. Jesus warns them that if they do not believe in Him, they will die in their sins. Despite their confusion and skepticism, many begin to believe in Him. This passage invites us to reflect on our own faith: do we recognize Jesus as the Son of God, and do we trust in His words and mission?
Both readings point to the importance of faith and trust in God. The bronze serpent in Numbers prefigures the cross of Christ, where Jesus is "lifted up" for the salvation of the world. Just as the Israelites needed to gaze upon the serpent to be healed, we must look to Christ, crucified and risen, to find eternal life. In our daily lives, when we face challenges or doubts, let us turn to Christ, the ultimate sign of God's love and mercy. May we, like many in the Gospel, come to believe in Him more deeply and follow His truth.