Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
(Numbers 21:4b-9; Philippians 2:6-11; John 3:13-17)
A very successful businessman was defending his care for the
oppressed. He said that as a boy, his father taught him to respect all
people. One day he used a racial slur in
front of his dad. The elder became so
irate that he had the future man of success wash his mouth with soap. The man never forgot the lesson and regretted
his prejudicial remark for many years to come.
Today’s first reading tells how the Hebrews in the desert began
to resent their liberation from slavery.
After their all but impossible deliverance from Pharaoh’s army, they grumbled
that the Lord had delivered them. Like the
businessman’s father had his son wash his mouth with soap for the youngster’s
insolence, God had the snakes bite the people for their ingratitude. However, seeing the image of the snake that
bit them mounted on a pole, the Hebrews repented of their sin and were healed of
the deadly snake venom.
The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross reminds us to
see in Jesus mounted on the cross the result of our sinfulness. He suffered one of the most excruciating
deaths imaginable that we might be forgiven of our failure to live as God
commands. By allowing himself to be
crucified, Jesus took upon himself our sins.
We have life – eternal life even – because he suffered such a horrible
death.
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