Daily Readings - Sun Sep 14 2025
Numbers
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.
Philippians
6who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,7but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.8And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.9Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,10so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
John
13No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.16"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might 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.