THE GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY : Thursday - September 14, 2023

 

Thursday - September 14, 2023

When anyone reposes all his confidence in God, God continually exercises a special protection over him, and in this state of things he can be assured that no evil will happen to him. 

-- St. Vincent de Paul

September 14, 2022

FEAST OF THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS
Lectionary: 638

 

Reading 1                                                     Nm 21:4b-9

 

With their patience worn out by the journey,

the people complained against God and Moses,

“Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert,

where there is no food or water?

We are disgusted with this wretched food!”

 

In punishment the LORD sent among the people saraph serpents,

which bit the people so that many of them died.

Then the people came to Moses and said,

“We have sinned in complaining against the LORD and you.

Pray the LORD to take the serpents from us.”

So Moses prayed for the people, and the LORD said to Moses,

“Make a saraph and mount it on a pole,

and if any who have been bitten look at it, they will live.”

Moses accordingly made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole,

and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent

looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

 

Responsorial Psalm                                              78:1bc-2, 34-35, 36-37, 38

 

R.    (see 7b)  Do not forget the works of the Lord!

 

Hearken, my people, to my teaching;

    incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

I will open my mouth in a parable,

    I will utter mysteries from of old.

R.    Do not forget the works of the Lord!

 

While he slew them they sought him

    and inquired after God again,

Remembering that God was their rock

    and the Most High God, their redeemer.

R.    Do not forget the works of the Lord!

 

But they flattered him with their mouths

    and lied to him with their tongues,

Though their hearts were not steadfast toward him,

    nor were they faithful to his covenant.

R.    Do not forget the works of the Lord!

 

But he, being merciful, forgave their sin

    and destroyed them not;

Often he turned back his anger

    and let none of his wrath be roused.

R.    Do not forget the works of the Lord!

 

Reading II                                                                 Phil 2:6-11

 

Brothers and sisters:

    Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,

        did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.

    Rather, he emptied himself,

    taking the form of a slave,

    coming in human likeness;

    and found human in appearance,

    he humbled himself,

    becoming obedient to death,

        even death on a cross.

Because of this, God greatly exalted him

    and bestowed on him the name

    that is above every name,

    that at the name of Jesus

    every knee should bend,

    of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

    and every tongue confess that

    Jesus Christ is Lord,

    to the glory of God the Father.

 

Alleluia                                                                     

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you,

because by your Cross you have redeemed the world.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel                                                                       Jn 3:13-17

 

Jesus said to Nicodemus:

“No one has gone up to heaven

except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.

And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,

so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

 

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,

so that everyone who believes in him might not perish

but might have eternal life.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,

but that the world might be saved through him.

 

***********************************

The Glory of God!

Do you see the glory of God in your life?  Oftentimes this is a real struggle.  We can easily become aware of all the problems we face and can focus in on them.  As a result, it is often easy for us to miss seeing the glory of God in our lives.  So do you see God’s glory in your life? 

The feast we celebrate today is a commemoration of the fact that Jesus literally revealed His glory to three of the Apostles.  He took them up a high mountain and was transfigured before them.  He became dazzling white and radiant with glory.  This was an important image for them to have in their minds in preparation for the very real image of the suffering and death Jesus was about to undergo.  

One lesson we should take from this feast is the fact that the glory of Jesus was not lost on the Cross.  Sure, His suffering and pain was made manifest at that time, but it doesn’t change the fact that His glory was still just as real while He suffered on the Cross. 

The same is true in our lives.  We are blessed beyond measure and God still desires to transform our souls into glorious beacons of light and grace.  When He does this, we must strive to constantly see it.  And when we suffer or face some Cross, we must never take our eyes off the glorious things He has done in our souls.

Reflect, today, upon the beautiful and profound transformation that God has done and continues to desire to do in your soul.  Know that He wants you to fix your eyes upon this glory and forever remain grateful for it, especially as you endure any cross you are given.

Today’s Prayer

Lord, may I see Your glory and the glory that You have bestowed upon my own soul.  May my eyes forever remain fixed on that grace.  May I see You and Your glory especially in difficult times.  Jesus, I trust in You.

 

 

God Bless You.....

The Rosary Family

The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”