Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Today’s Gospel reading provides us with a clue to a Christian typological reading of our first reading today from the Book of Numbers. In our first reading from Numbers, we find the Israelites dying in the wilderness. They are dying because of their sins. This might not at first be apparent, since their proximate cause of death was the seraph serpents God sent among them. But the serpents are sent among them in response to their sinful murmuring, impatience and complaining against God, and thus the serpents were a means of blessing, a means by which the people were incited to turn back to the Lord. The difficult time of the wilderness, combined with the deaths from the serpents, assisted the people in their repentance and turning back to God, following the instructions of Moses. And Moses’ instructions were simple: look up at the seraph Moses had made, lifted up on a pole.
In today’s Gospel reading from St. John’s Gospel, Jesus explains that He will be the one lifted up, referring to His crucifixion. Jesus is the one we must turn to in times of need. When we feel overburdened by our sins, when we feel weary from our desert journey in Lent or at any other time throughout the pilgrimage of our life, we only need turn to Jesus exalted high on the cross.
Sometimes, as with the serpent on the pole, it is useful to have something visual to remind us of the presence of God, of Jesus’ heavenly aid. For the remainder of Lent, it might be a good practice, if you do not already do so, to carry around with you some small sacramental that will help you lift your gaze to God periodically throughout the day. If most of your work is done around the home, perhaps you can hang a crucifix, cross, or image of Our Lady or of the Holy Family, somewhere that you can glance at periodically throughout the day. If your work takes you outside of the house, you might find it beneficial to carry a small crucifix, cross, or image of Our Lady or a Saint around with you that you can take out and place unobtrusively by your computer, desk, workbench, or wherever you work, to glance at occasionally, lifting your gaze spiritually to He Who was lifted up for our sake. This is one tangible way we can look to Jesus throughout the day for the strength that we need. Whatever we do, we need to periodically speak to Jesus throughout our busy days, turning to God for our help, and not despairing as our ancestors did in the wilderness.
- Jeff Morrow