Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings 10-March-2024

For your reading, reflection, faith-sharing, comments, questions, discussion.

KEYWORDS: catholic; jn3; lent; prayer

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John
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	John 3
14.	And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of man be lifted up:	Et sicut Moyses exaltavit serpentem in deserto, ita exaltari oportet Filium hominis :	και καθως μωσης υψωσεν τον οφιν εν τη ερημω ουτως υψωθηναι δει τον υιον του ανθρωπου
15.	That whosoever believeth in him, may not perish; but may have life everlasting.	ut omnis qui credit in ipsum, non pereat, sed habeat vitam æternam.	ινα πας ο πιστευων εις αυτον μη αποληται αλλ εχη ζωην αιωνιον
16.	For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting.	Sic enim Deus dilexit mundum, ut Filium suum unigenitum daret : ut omnis qui credit in eum, non pereat, sed habeat vitam æternam.	ουτως γαρ ηγαπησεν ο θεος τον κοσμον ωστε τον υιον αυτου τον μονογενη εδωκεν ινα πας ο πιστευων εις αυτον μη αποληται αλλ εχη ζωην αιωνιον
17.	For God sent not his Son into the world, to judge the world, but that the world may be saved by him.	Non enim misit Deus Filium suum in mundum, ut judicet mundum, sed ut salvetur mundus per ipsum.	ου γαρ απεστειλεν ο θεος τον υιον αυτου εις τον κοσμον ινα κρινη τον κοσμον αλλ ινα σωθη ο κοσμος δι αυτου
18.	He that believeth in him is not judged. But he that doth not believe, is already judged: because he believeth not in the name of the only begotten Son of God.	Qui credit in eum, non judicatur ; qui autem non credit, jam judicatus est : quia non credit in nomine unigeniti Filii Dei.	ο πιστευων εις αυτον ου κρινεται ο δε μη πιστευων ηδη κεκριται οτι μη πεπιστευκεν εις το ονομα του μονογενους υιου του θεου
19.	And this is the judgment: because the light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than the light: for their works were evil.	Hoc est autem judicium : quia lux venit in mundum, et dilexerunt homines magis tenebras quam lucem : erant enim eorum mala opera.	αυτη δε εστιν η κρισις οτι το φως εληλυθεν εις τον κοσμον και ηγαπησαν οι ανθρωποι μαλλον το σκοτος η το φως ην γαρ πονηρα αυτων τα εργα
20.	For every one that doth evil hateth the light, and cometh not to the light, that his works may not be reproved.	Omnis enim qui male agit, odit lucem, et non venit ad lucem, ut non arguantur opera ejus :	πας γαρ ο φαυλα πρασσων μισει το φως και ουκ ερχεται προς το φως ινα μη ελεγχθη τα εργα αυτου
21.	But he that doth truth, cometh to the light, that his works may be made manifest, because they are done in God.	qui autem facit veritatem, venit ad lucem, ut manifestentur opera ejus, quia in Deo sunt facta.	ο δε ποιων την αληθειαν ερχεται προς το φως ινα φανερωθη αυτου τα εργα οτι εν θεω εστιν ειργασμενα

Catena Aurea by St. Thomas Aguinas

3:14–15

14. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

15. That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom. xxvii. 1) Having made mention of the gift of baptism, He proceeds to the. source of it, i. e. the cross: And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up.

BEDE. He introduces the teacher of the Mosaic law, to the spiritual sense of that law; by a passage from the Old Testament history, which was intended to be a figure of His Passion, and of man’s salvation.

AUGUSTINE. (de Pecc. mer. et remiss. c. xxxii) Many dying in the wilderness from the attack of the serpents, Moses, by commandment of the Lord, lifted up a brazen serpent: and those who looked upon it were immediately healed. The lifting up of the serpent is the death of Christ; the cause, by a certain mode of construction, being put for the effect. The serpent was the cause of death, inasmuch as he persuaded man into that sin, by which he merited death. Our Lord, however, did not transfer sin, i. e. the poison of the serpent, to his flesh, but death; in order that in the likeness of sinful flesh, there might be punishment without sin, by virtue of which sinful flesh might be delivered both from punishment and from sin.

THEOPHYLACT. (in loc.) See then the aptness of the figure. The figure of the serpent has the appearance of the beast, but not its poison: in the same way Christ came in the likeness of sinful flesh, being free from sin. By Christ’s being lifted up, understand His being suspended on high, by which suspension He sanctified the air, even as He had sanctified the earth by walking upon it. Herein too is typified the glory of Christ: for the height of the cross was made His glory: for in that He submitted to be judged, He judged the prince of this world; for Adam died justly, because he sinned; our Lord unjustly, because He did no sin. So He overcame him, who delivered Him over to death, and thus delivered Adam from death. And in this the devil found himself vanquished, that he could not upon the cross torment our Lord into hating His murderers: but only made Him love and pray for them the more. In this way the cross of Christ was made His lifting up, and glory.

CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom. xxvii. 2) Wherefore He does not say, ‘The Son of man must be suspended, but lifted up, a more honourable term, but coming near the figure. He uses the figure to shew that the old dispensation is akin to the new, and to shew on His hearers’ account that He suffered voluntarily; and that His death issued in life.

AUGUSTINE. (Tr. xii. c. 11) As then formerly he who looked to the serpent that was lifted up, was healed of its poison, and saved from death; so now he who is conformed to the likeness of Christ’s death by faith and the grace of baptism, is delivered both from sin by justification, and from death by the resurrection: as He Himself saith; That whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. What need then is there that the child should be conformed by baptism to the death of Christ, if he be not altogether tainted by the poisonous bite of the serpent?

CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom. xxvii. 2) Observe; He alludes to the Passion obscurely, in consideration to His hearer; but the fruit of the Passion He unfolds plainly; viz. that they who believe in the Crucified One should not perish. And if they who believe in the Crucified live, much more shall the Crucified One Himself.

AUGUSTINE. (Tr. xii. c. 11) But there is this difference between the figure and the reality, that the one recovered from temporal death, the other from eternal.

3:16–18

16. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

CHRYSOSTOM. Having said, Even so must the Son of man be lifted up, alluding to His death; lest His hearer should be cast down by His words, forming some human notion of Him, and thinking of His death as an evil1, He corrects this by saying, that He who was given up to death was the Son of God, and that His death would be the source of life eternal; So God loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life; as if He said, Marvel not that I must be lifted up, that you may be saved: for so it seemeth good to the Father, who hath so loved you, that He hath given His Son to suffer for ungrateful and careless servants. The text, God so loved the world, shews intensity of love. For great indeed and infinite is the distance between the two. He who is without end, or beginning of existence, Infinite Greatness, loved those who were of earth and ashes, creatures laden with sins innumerable. And the act which springs from the love is equally indicative of its vastness. For God gave not a servant, or an Angel, or an Archangel, but His Son. Again, had He had many sons, and given one, this would have been a very great gift; but new He hath given His Only Begotten Son.

HILARY. (vi. de Trin. c. 40) If it were only a creature given up for the sake of a creature, such a poor and insignificant loss were no great evidence of love. They must be precious things which prove our love, great things must evidence its greatness. God, in love to the world, gave His Son, not an adopted Son, but His own, even His Only Begotten. Here is proper Sonship, birth, truth: no creation, no adoption, no lie: here is the test of love and charity, that God sent His own and only begotten Son to save the world.

THEOPHYLACT. (in loc.) As He said above, that the Son of man came down from heaven, not meaning that His flesh did come down from heaven, on account of the unity of person in Christ, attributing to man what belonged to God: so now conversely what belongs to man, he assigns to God the Word. The Son of God was impassible; but being one in respect of person with man, who was passible, the Son is said to be given up to death; inasmuch as He truly suffered, not in His own nature, but in His own flesh. From this death follows an exceeding great and incomprehensible benefit: viz. that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. The Old Testament promised to those who obeyed it, length of days: the Gospel promises life eternal, and imperishable.

BEDE.1; Note here, that the same which he before said of the Son of man, lifted up on the cross, he repeats of the only begotten Son of God: viz. That whosoever believeth in Him, &c. For the same our Maker and Redeemer, who was Son of God before the world was, was made at the end of the world the Son of man; so that He who by the power of His Godhead had created us to enjoy the happiness of an endless life, the same restored us to the life we have lost by taking our human frailty upon Him.

ALCUIN. Truly through the Son of God shall the world have life; for for no other cause came He into the world, except to save the world. God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

AUGUSTINE. (Tr. xii. c. 12) For why is He called the Saviour of the world, but because Ho saves the world? The physician, so far as his will is concerned, heals the sick. If the sick despises or will not observe the directions of the physician, he destroys himself.

CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom. xxviii. 1) Because however He says this, slothful men in the multitude of their sins, and excess of carelessness, abuse God’s mercy, and say, There is no hell, no punishment; God remits us all our sins. But let us remember, that there are two advents of Christ; one past, the other to come. The former was, not to judge but to pardon us: the latter will be, not to pardon but to judge us. It is of the former that He says, I have not come to judge the world. Because He is merciful, instead of judgment, He grants an internal remission of all sins by baptism; and even after baptism opens to us the door of repentance, which had He not done all had been lost; for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. (Rom. 3:23) Afterwards, however, there follows something about the punishment of unbelievers, to warn us against flattering ourselves that we can sin with impunity. Of the unbeliever He says, ‘he is judged already.’—But first He says, He that believeth on Him is not judged. He who believeth, He says, not who enquires. But what if his life be impure? Paul very strongly declares that such are not believers: They confess, he says, that they know God, but in works deny Him. (Tit. 1:16) That is to say, Such will not be judged for their belief, but will receive a heavy punishment for their works, though unbelief will not be charged against them.

ALCUIN. He who believes on Him, and cleaves to Him as a member to the head, will not be condemned.

AUGUSTINE. (Tr. xii. c. 12) What didst thou expect Him to say of him who believed not, except that he is condemned. Yet mark His words: He that believeth not is condemned already. The Judgment hath not appeared, bat it is already given. For the Lord knows who are His; who are awaiting the crown, and who the fire.

CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom. xxviii. 1) Or the meaning is, that disbelief itself is the punishment of the impenitent: inasmuch as that is to be without light, and to be without light is of itself the greatest punishment. Or He is announcing what is to be. Though a murderer be not yet sentenced by the Judge, still his crime has already condemned him. In like manner he who believes not, is dead, even as Adam, on the day that he ate of the tree, died.

GREGORY. (1. xxvi. Mor. c. xxvii. [50.]) Or thus: In the last judgment some perish without being judged, of whom it is here said, He that believeth not is condemned already. For the day of judgment does not try those who for unbelief are already banished from the sight of a discerning judge, are under sentence of damnation; but those, who retaining the profession of faith, have no works to shew suitable to that profession. For those who have not kept even the sacraments of faith, do not even hear the curse of the Judge at the last trial. They have already, in the darkness of their unbelief, received their sentence, and are not thought worthy of being convicted by the rebuke of Him whom they had despised Again; For an earthly sovereign, in the government of his state, has a different rule of punishment, in the case of the disaffected subject, and the foreign rebel. In the former case, he consults the civil law; but against the enemy he proceeds at once to war, and repays his malice with the punishment it deserves, without regard to law, inasmuch as he who never submitted to law, has no claim to suffer by the law.

ALCUIN. He then gives the reason why he who believeth not is condemned, viz. because he believeth not in the name of the only begotten Son of God. For in this name alone is there salvation. God hath not many sons who can save; He by whom He saves is the Only Begotten.

AUGUSTINE. (de Pecc. mer. et Rem. l. 1. c. 33) Where then do we place baptized children? Amongst those who believe? This is acquired for them by the virtue of the Sacrament, and the pledges of the sponsors. And by this same rule we reckon those who are not baptized, among those who believe not.

3:19–21

19. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

20. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

21. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

ALCUIN. Here is the reason why men believed not, and why they are justly condemned; This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world.

CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom. xxviii. 2) As if He said, So far from their having sought for it, or laboured to find it light itself hath come to them, and they have refused to admit it; Men loved darkness rather than light. Thus He leaves them no excuse. He came to rescue them from darkness, and bring them to light; who can pity him who does not choose to approach the light when it comes unto him?

BEDE. (in loc. c. 1) He calls Himself the light, whereof the Evangelist speaks, That was the true light; whereas sin He calls darkness.

CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom. xxviii. 2) Then because it seemed incredible that man should prefer light to darkness, he gives the reason of the infatuation, viz. that their deeds were evil. And indeed had He come to Judgment, there had been some reason for not receiving Him; for he who is conscious of his crimes, naturally avoids the judge. But criminals are glad to meet one who brings them pardon. And therefore it might have been expected that men conscious of their sins would have gone to meet Christ, as many indeed did; for the publicans and sinners came and sat down with Jesus. But the greater part being too cowardly to undergo the toils of virtue for righteousness’ sake, persisted in their wickedness to the last; of whom our Lord says, Every one that doeth evil, hateth the light. He speaks of those who choose to remain in their wickedness.

ALCUIN. Every one that doeth evil, hateth the light; i. e. he who is resolved to sin, who delights in sin, hateth the light, which detects his sin.

AUGUSTINE. (Conf. l. x. c. xxiii. [34.]) Because they dislike being deceived, and like to deceive, they love light for discovering herself, and hate her for discovering them. Wherefore it shall be their punishment, that she shall manifest them against their will, and herself not be manifest unto them. They love the brightness of truth, they hate her discrimination; and therefore it follows, Neither cometh to the light, that his deeds should be reproved.

CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom. xxvii. 2) No one reproves a Pagan, because his own practice agrees with the character of his gods; his life is in accordance with his doctrines. But a Christian who lives in wickedness all must condemn. If there are any Gentiles whose life is good, I know them not. But are there not Gentiles? it may be asked. For do not tell me of the naturally amiable and honest; this is not virtue. But shew me one who has strong passions, and lives with wisdom. You cannot. For if the announcement of a kingdom, and the threats of hell, and other inducements, hardly keep men virtuous when they are so, such calls will hardly rouse them to the attainment of virtue in the first instance. Pagans, if they do produce any thing which looks well, do it for vain-glory’s sake, and will therefore at the same time, if they can escape notice, gratify their evil desires as well. And what profit is a man’s sobriety and decency of conduct, if he is the slave of vain-glory? The slave of vain-glory is no less a sinner than a fornicator; nay, sins oven oftener, and more grievously. However, even supposing there are some few Gentiles of good lives, the exceptions so rare do not affect my argument.

BEDE. Morally too they love darkness rather than light, who when their preachers tell them their duty, assail them with calumny.

But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom. xxviii. 3) He does not say this of those who are brought up under the Gospel, but of those who are converted to the true faith from Paganism or Judaism. He shews that no one will leave a false religion for the true faith, till he first resolve to follow a right course of life.

AUGUSTINE. (de Pecc. mer. et Remiss. l. i. c. 33) He calls the works of him who comes to the light, wrought in God; meaning that his justification is attributable not to his own merits, but to God’s grace.

AUGUSTINE. (Tr. xii. 13, 14) But if God hath discovered all men’s works to be evil, how is it that any have done the truth, and come to the light, i. e. to Christ? Now what He saith is, that they loved darkness rather than light; He lays the stress upon that. Many have loved their sins, many have confessed them. God accuseth thy sins; if thou accuse them too, thou art joined to God. Thou must hate thine own work, and love the work of God in thee. The beginning of good works, is the confession of evil works, and then thou doest the truth: not soothing, not flattering thyself. And thou art come to the light, because this very sin in thee, which displeaseth thee, would not displease thee, did not God shine upon thee, and His truth shew it unto thee. And let those even who have sinned only by word or thought, or who have only exceeded in things allowable, do the truth, by making confession, and come to the light by performing good works. For little sins, if suffered to accumulate, become mortal. Little drops swell the river: little grains of sand become an heap, which presses and weighs down. The sea coming in by little and little, unless it be pumped out, sinks the vessel. And what is to pump out, but by good works, mourning, fasting, giving and forgiving, to provide against our sins overwhelming us?

Catena Aurea John 3

Glorification of the Cross

Adam Elsheimer

c. 1605
Oil on copper, 48,5 x 36 cm
Städelsches Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt

John Ogilvie

Saint

Death: 03/10/1615

Nationality (place of birth): Scotland

John Ogilvie (1579-1615) performed ministry in his native Scotland for only 11 months after he returned to his homeland following 22 years abroad. He is the only canonized Scottish martyr from the time of the Reformation, and was only 36 when he gave his life for Christ.

Ogilvie was raised a Calvinist but decided in 1596 to become a Catholic during a study tour in France, Germany and Italy. He went to the Scots College in Louvain, Belgium, where he was reconciled to the Catholic Church. When that college closed because of financial difficulties, he studied with the Benedictines and then transferred to the Jesuit college at Olomouc. He entered the Austrian province of the Jesuits at Brno in Moravia on Nov. 5, 1599 and studied philosophy at Graz and Vienna and theology back at Olomouc. He was ordained in Paris towards the end of 1610. Ogilvie was eager to return home to do missionary work, but Scotland was then too dangerous for a Catholic priest. The young Jesuit worked in Rouen, France, for three years before he finally received word to begin his apostolate in Scotland. He landed at Leith, Scotland in November 1613, disguised as a horse dealer named John Watson. He gradually made his way to Edinburgh where he had considerable success reconciling people to the Church. On Oct. 3, 1614 he went to Glasgow where he was to receive five individuals back into the Church; one of the five, Adam Boyd, betrayed him to the Protestant archbishop.

Boyd informed the archbishop of Ogilvie's arrival and helped plan his capture. As Ogilvie waited at a designated spot in the market square to be taken to the service, he was surrounded by men who led him to the archbishop in a nearby house. The archbishop struck Ogilvie in the face; then the others beat him as well before imprisoning him in the bishop's castle. His first interrogation took place the next day, but Ogilvie refused to accept the king's supremacy in religious matters.

His captors then put Ogilvie into a dark, foul-smelling cell and tortured him to make him more cooperative at the next interrogation which took place on Dec. 12 in Edingburgh before a council appointed by King James I. After Ogilvie refused to give up his convictions, he was subjected to sleep deprivation torture for the following nine days. Finally he was interrogated for a third time on Dec. 22. Although physically worn out and mentally tired, the Jesuit refused to reveal the names of Catholics who attended his services or helped him. Authorities returned him to Glasgow prison where he began to write the story of his arrest and imprisonment. He managed to smuggle the account out, page by page, through the kindness of people who came to visit other prisoners.

Ogilvie underwent a fourth interrogation Jan. 18, 1615 when he was asked to respond to questions posed by the king himself. The questions touched on religious supremacy and were written in such a way that the Jesuit could choose only to renounce Catholicism or to condemn himself. Ogilvie answered unambiguously that the pope was supreme in religious matters, and that the pope had the power not only to excommunicate the king but also to depose him. These answers meant that he would be killed, so Ogilvie began to prepare himself for heaven when he was returned to his cell. When James I read Ogilvie's responses, he ordered the priest's trial to take place March 10 with the death penalty waiting if he did not change his answers. Ogilvie's trial took place at the Tolbooth in Glasgow's square; the Jesuit was charged not with celebrating Mass and converting Protestants but with high treason for denying the king's spiritual jurisdiction by upholding the pope's spiritual primacy. Two hours after the trial began, the jury found him guilty and condemned him to be hanged and quartered that very afternoon.

Ogilvie spent three hours in prayer while the judges and jury went to lunch. Then the sheriff came to escort him to the public square for execution. Holding his rosary, the Jesuit mounted the scaffold and prayed briefly before the hangman tied his hands and led him up the final ladder. After the executioner pushed him off the ladder, Ogilvie did not die immediately so the executioner grabbed his legs and pulled him down to end his agony. Despite the sentence to be quartered, Ogilvie's body was buried outside the city in a place reserved for criminals.

Other Martyers for the Catholic Faith after Reformation

Originally Collected and edited by: Tom Rochford, SJ

jesuits.global

St John Ogilvie

Peter Howson

Once, in Israel’s wilderness wanderings, Moses put a bronze serpent on a pole and lifted it up for the healing of God’s people. Why does Jesus compare Himself to that serpent?

Gospel (Read Jn 3:14-21)

Today, we read the last part of a conversation Jesus had with Nicodemus, a Pharisee who had come to Him at night to talk. Most Pharisees were suspicious and contemptuous of Jesus, but not Nicodemus. He recognized Him as “a teacher from God” because of the miraculous works He did (see Jn 3:2). Jesus understood right away what this man was looking for, so He began a discussion with him about the need to be “born anew” to enter the kingdom of God (Jn 3:3). This completely baffled Nicodemus, of course, because he knew a person cannot re-enter the womb for a second birth. Jesus pressed the point: “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (Jn 3:5). When Nicodemus continued to struggle with this idea, it was Jesus’ turn to be baffled: “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand this?” (Jn 3:10)

Why did Jesus expect Nicodemus to understand that only a radical action like re-birth could enable a man to enter God’s kingdom? What was it in Israel’s history that should have prepared Nicodemus for this? Today’s reading gives us a clue.

To help him understand the need for re-birth, Jesus reminds Nicodemus of a time during Israel’s journey from Egypt to the Promised Land when the people bitterly complained about lack of food and water, calling the manna God provided “worthless food” (read Num 21:1-9). To punish them, God sent “fiery serpents” among the people; many of those bitten died. The people repented of their sin of ingratitude and lack of faith, so Moses asked God to remove the serpents. Instead, God told Moses to make a bronze serpent, lift it onto a pole, and have anyone bitten look at it to be healed. Doesn’t this seem odd? Why would God ask this of the people? Why wouldn’t He simply remove all the snakes so no one would get bitten instead of asking the sick to gaze at a copy of the very creature they dreaded, the one through whom so much death came?

We can only speculate here, because God didn’t explain His reasons to Moses. What are the possibilities? Did God want the people to participate in their own healing by the act of faith it would require of them, after having refused to live by faith when the food and water ran short? It certainly took faith for anyone bitten by a deadly snake to believe that simply by looking at a bronze serpent “lifted up” on a pole, he would be healed. Did God want to remind the people that the snakes only appeared because of their ingratitude and complaining—was the serpent meant to be a reminder of their sin, as well as their source of healing? Did seeing a life-giving serpent take them back to Eden, when a death-dealing serpent caused men to lose the life God had for them? Are all of these a part of the explanation of the strange event in the wilderness?

Let us now return to Jesus’ last words to Nicodemus. Remember that Jesus thought anyone well-schooled in Israel’s history ought to understand that man’s problem with entering the kingdom of God is man himself. What is to be done with men who, as a result of Adam’s disobedience, are born into sin? Even “sonship, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the Law, the worship, and the promises” (see Rom 9:4) that God gave to His beloved Israel did not enable them to keep faith with Him. They had been bitten by the serpent’s victory over Adam. They were sick unto death. The only healing for this poisonous bite was a completely new life, a re-birth. How would that happen?

Jesus had to be “lifted up” onto the Cross. He had to die the death the serpent’s bite caused, although He Himself had not been bitten. He took the poison for us. Out of His love for the world, God sent His Son to save us from sure death. In Moses’ day, the people had to look at the creature who had poisoned them and believe that God would heal them. Now, we must look at Jesus on the Cross, a human being, a man just like the one through whom the poison of the serpent in Eden spread to the whole human race, and believe we will be healed by the re-birth we so desperately need. When the people saw the serpent in the wilderness, it reminded them of their disobedience. When we see Jesus on the Cross, it reminds us of the gravity of our sin. We can see so clearly that it requires judgment and that death is its just punishment. When Jesus was “lifted up” out of death and then “lifted up” to Heaven at the Ascension, we know that our debt has been paid. We die with Jesus, in baptism, and yet we live (“born of water and the Spirit”).

Slowly, we can begin to realize how effectively the episode in the wilderness foreshadowed Jesus being “lifted up” for us. In case we don’t, St. John gives us an explanation of what Jesus came to do. Jesus is God’s healing for us. Those who reject Him remain sick with the serpent’s poison from Eden—they remain full of death (“whoever does not believe has already been condemned”). The Son of God crucified on the Cross makes explicit what St. John tells us: “The light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil.” Those who look at Jesus lifted up and believe He is their only hope for forgiveness and new life come “to the light.” They are born anew into eternal life. As a result, their “works may be clearly seen as done in God.”

Did we realize there is so much to “see” when we gaze at Jesus “lifted up”?

NAVARRE BIBLE COMMENTARY (RSV)

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (To the Greater Glory of God)

First Reading:

From: 2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23

The Reign of Zedekiah (Continuation)
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[14] All the leading priests and’ the people likewise were exceedingly unfaithful, following all the abominations of the nations; and they polluted the house of the LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem. [15] The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place; [16] but they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words, and scoffing at his prophets, till the wrath of the LORD rose against his people, till there was no remedy.

Deportation. Destruction of Jerusalem (Continuation)
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[19] And they burned the house of God, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, and burned all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all its precious vessels. [20] He took into exile in Babylon those who had escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and to his sons until the establishment of the kingdom of Persia, [21] to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its sabbaths. All the days that it lay desolate it kept sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.

Cyrus’ Edict

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[22] Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth dl Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: [23] ”Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may the LORD his God be with him. Let him go up.”

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Commentary:

36:21. The mention of Jeremiah (cf. Jer 25:1-12; 29:10) indicates that his book was already seen in the Chronicler’s time as being prophetical and holy; and it also underlines the fact that the exile was an event foreseen by God who kept the land in a long “sabbath”, that is, a period of total rest, until the return of those who constituted the true Israel. By refraining from any mention of the governorship of Gedaliah (cf. 2 Kings 25 :22-26) the writer avoids anything that would imply divisions between these who were deported and those who stayed on in Jerusalem.

36:22-23. The end of the book of Chronicles is identical with the start of that of Ezra (Ezra 1:1-3) and the repetition was probably inserted when Chronicles was finally separated from the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. But it does serve to reinforce the lesson, contained in the previous verses, that the exile does not mean the end, and that everything will continue as before the exile, because those who belong to the Lord’s people will return, and the key conviction of faith will endure--that the Lord is with them, with all of those who, when this book was being assembled, were members of the people.

Second Reading:

From: Ephesians 2:4-10

Salvation As a Free Gift
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[4] But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, [5] even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), [6] and raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, [7] that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. [8] For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God [9] not because of works, lest any man should boast. [10] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

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Commentary:

1-10. St Paul moves on to consider those who make up the Church -- Jews and Gentiles. Despite the sinful situation in which both found themselves (vv. 2-3), God in is great mercy (vv. 4-5) has acted on them and made them to be like Christ, now victorious and seated in heaven (vv. 6-7); this he has done through the unmerited gift of faith (vv. 8-10).

1-2. "You": he is referring to Christians of Gentile origin, in contrast with "we" (v. 3), Christians of Jewish background.

Prior to his conversion to Christ a pagan was, as it were, en route to death, that is, liable to condemnation on account of sin--both original sin and sin caused by worldly behavior, that is, actions opposed to God. That is what the Apostle means here by "this world"--a world which is under the power of the devil (cf. note on Jn 1:10). The description of the devil as "prince of the power of the air" reflects the notion, widely held in ancient times, that demons dwelt in the earth's atmosphere, from where they exercised a baneful influence over mankind (cf. Mt 12:24; Jn 12:31). St Paul uses the language of his time without taking on board the cosmology it implies. He is teaching theology, and the devil he identifies as the one who is at work in the "sons of disobedience", "the rebels"--an opposite description, for Satan is characterized by his rebellion against God, and his influence on men leads them into rebellion to seek their fulfillment in created things or in things of their own fashioning, thereby refusing to give God his primary place. St Paul could see this happening in the pagan world around him (cf. Rom 1:18-23); and in fact it happens in all periods of history when man refuses to recognize God: "Although set by God in a state of rectitude, man, enticed by the evil one, abused his freedom at the very start of history. He lifted himself up against God, and sought to attain his goal apart from him. Although they had known God, they did not glorify him as God, but their senseless hearts were darkened, and they served the creature rather than the Creator (cf. Rom 1:21-25) [...] Often refusing to acknowledge God as his source, man has also upset the relationship which should link him to his last end; and at the same time he has broken the right order that should reign within himself as well as between himself and other men and all the rest of creation" (Vatican II, "Gaudium Et Spes", 13).

3. Before the coming of Christ, those who were Jews were likewise guilty of sin and merited denunciation. St Paul has already discussed this in his Letter to the Romans (cf. Rom 2:1 - 3:10); now he sketches out the same ideas, to emphasize that everyone, Jew and Gentile alike, obtains salvation through Christ (v. 5). The Jews know the true God and have the benefits of the Law; therefore, their sinfulness derives not so much from the seductions of the world and the devil as from human passion. The "desires of the body and mind" does not refer simply to the weakness of human nature (cf. Jn 1:14) or lustful desires but to all the desires and appetites of human nature when it does not obey God--to man's tendency to do whatever he wants, even when he knows that it conflicts with God's law (cf. Rom 7:5; 2 Cor 7:1; Col 2:13). The Jews also were subject to this power of the flesh, for they were "children of wrath, like the rest of mankind".

"Children of wrath": this expression of man's state of enmity towards God; it does not imply that God sees man as his enemy but that by sinning man incurs divine punishment. It has this effect for Jews and Gentiles alike.

In this verse the Apostle is referring to the behavior of both Jews and Gentiles; thus, the words "by nature" do not exactly mean the weakness of human nature as such but rather refer to the fact that man, if left to his own devices, cannot avoid sin and therefore cannot escape God's wrath. St John Chrysostom, St Jerome and other Fathers read "by nature" as opposed to "by grace". This would mean that "by nature" refers to human existence considered on its own, that is, unaided by grace--life in a state of sin, which would mean it merited God's wrath. But the reason why this is so is that human nature has been debilitated by original sin; some Fathers in fact, including St Augustine, read this passage as a recognition of the fact of original sin. Certainly St Paul is at least implying that there is such a thing as original sin, as St Thomas Aquinas explains: "He says that we were (children of wrath) 'by nature', that is, by our natural origin, but not meaning nature as such, for (sheer) nature is good and comes from God: he is referring to nature in its vitiated form" ("Commentary on Eph, ad loc.").

4. God's mercy is the greatest expression of his love because it shows the total gratuitousness of God's love towards the sinner, whereby instead of punishing him he forgives him and gives him life. The words "God, who is rich in mercy" have great theological and spiritual depth: they are a kind of summary of all St Paul's teaching about God's approach to people who are under the rule of sin, who are "by nature children of wrath".

St. Pope John Paul II has chosen these words of Scripture "dives in misericordia"--as the title of one of his encyclicals, an encyclical which explores the divine dimension of the mystery of Redemption. Here is how the Pope sums up biblical teaching on mercy: "The concept of 'mercy' in the Old Testament has a long and rich history [...]. It is significant that in their preaching the prophets link mercy, which they often refer to because of the people's sins, with the incisive image of love on God's part. The Lord loves Israel with the love of a special choosing, much like the love of a spouse (cf. e.g. Hos 2:21-25 and 15; Is 54:6-8) and for this reason he pardons its sins and even its infidelities and betrayals. When he finds repentance and true conversion, he brings his people back to grace (cf. Her 31:20; Ezek 39:25-29). In the preaching of the prophets "mercy" signifies a "special power of love", which "prevails over the sin and infidelity" of the chosen people... The Old Testament encourages people suffering from misfortune, especially those weighed down by sin--as also the whole of Israel, which had entered into the covenant with God--"to appeal for mercy", and enables them to count upon it" ("Dives In Misericordia", 4).

In the New Testament also there are many references to God's mercy, sometimes very touching ones, like the parable of the prodigal son (cf. Lk 15: 32); others take a more dramatic form, for example, Christ's sacrifice, the supreme expression of the love of God, which is stronger than death and sin. "The 'Cross of Christ', on which the Son, consubstantial with the Father, 'renders full justice to God', is also 'a radical revelation of mercy', or rather of the love that goes against what constitutes the very root of evil in the history of man: against sin and death" ("ibid.", 8).

5-6. The power of God works in the Christian in a way similar to that in which it worked in Christ. St Paul here uses almost the same language as he did earlier (cf. 1:20), to show how radical is the change produced in men by Christ's salvation.

Just as a dead person is unable to bring himself back to life, so those who are dead through sin cannot obtain grace, supernatural life, by their own effort. Only Christ, by means of the Redemption, offers us that new life which begins with justification and ends with resurrection and eternal happiness in heaven. The Apostle is speaking here of that life of grace, and therefore of our future resurrection and glorification with Christ in heaven; he refers to this as if it were an accomplished fact, and the reason he does so is this: Jesus Christ is our head and we form one body with him (cf. Gal 3:28), and therefore we share in the head's condition. Christ, after his resurrection, sits at the right hand of the Father. "The body of Christ, which the Church is", St Augustine comments, "must be at the right hand, that is, in the glory of heaven, as the Apostle says: 'we have been raised up with him and made to sit with him in heaven.' Even though our body is not yet there, our hope is already placed there" ("De Agone Christiano", 26).

From the moment of our incorporation into Christ by Baptism, his resurrection and exaltation is something which is already present in us in an incomplete way: "Thus by Baptism", Vatican II teaches, "men are grafted into the paschal mystery of Christ; they die with him, are buried with him, and rise with him (cf. Rom 6:4; Eph 2:6; Col 3:1; 2 Tim 2:11f). They receive the spirit of adoption as sons in which 'we cry, Abba, Father' (Rom 8:15) and thus become true adorers such as the Father seeks (cf. Jn 4:23)" ("Sacrosanctum Concilium", 6). See the note on Rom 6:9-10.

The Redemption has already been accomplished, and man has available to him all the grace he needs for salvation: the gates of heaven are open wide; it is now the responsibility of every individual to make room for grace in his soul, to avail of grace to respond to our Lord's call. Through Christ, "we have been reborn spiritually, for through him we are crucified to the world," St Zozimus comments. "By his death that decree of death has been destroyed which Adam caused and which was passed on to every soul--that sentence which we incur through our descent, from which absolutely no one is free prior to being set free by Baptism" ("Epist. 'Tractoria', Dz-Sch", 231).

8-9. Salvation is the work of God, a gratuitous gift of God: it originates in God's mercy. It acts in man by means of faith, that is, by man's acceptance of the salvation offered him in Jesus Christ. But even faith, St Paul tells us, is a divine gift; man cannot merit it by his own efforts alone; it is not exclusively the outcome of human freedom; at all stages, from the very beginning, recognition and acceptance of Christ as Savior means that God's grace is at work.

On the basis of this passage in Ephesians and other passages of Scripture, the Church has taught: "According to the passages of Sacred Scripture and the explanations of the Holy Fathers [specified] we, with God's help must believe and preach the following: The free will of man was made so weak and unsteady through the sin of the first man that, after the Fall, no one could love God as was required, or believe in God, or perform good works for God unless the grace of divine mercy anticipated him [...]. Even after the coming of Christ this grace of faith is not found in the free will of all who desire to be baptized but is conferred through the generosity of Christ, according to what has already been said and according to what the Apostle Paul teaches: 'It has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake' (Phil 1:29). And also: 'he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ' (Phil 1:6). And again: 'By grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God' (Eph 2:8). And the Apostle says of himself: 'As one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy' (1 Cor 7:25; cf. 1 Tim 1:13) ...And Scripture says further: 'What have you that you did not receive?' (1 Cor 4:7). And again: 'Every good endowment and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights' (Jas 1:17). And again: 'No one can receive anything except what is given from heaven' (Jn 3:27)" (Second Council of Orange, "De Gratia", conclusion).

The Second Vatican Council provides the same teaching: "'By faith man freely commits his entire self to God…; before this faith can be exercised, man must have the grace of God to move and assist him; he must have the interior help of the Holy Spirit, who moves the heart and converts it to God, who opens the eyes of the mind and 'makes it easy for all to accept and believe the truth' ("De Gratia", can . 7; "Dei Filius")'' ("Dei Verbum", 5).

When St Paul says that faith does not come from works (v. 9), he is referring to things man can do on his own, without the help of grace. If faith did come from works, then man would have something to boast to God about, something which would bring salvation without dependence on Christ--which would be inadmissible, because then our Lord's death would make no sense, nor would even the Incarnation of the Word, whom "God has made our wisdom, our righteousness and sanctification and redemption; therefore, as it is written, 'Let him who boasts, boast of the Lord"' (1 Cor 1:30-31). See also the notes on Jas 2:14; Rom 3:20-31; 9:31.

10. The Christian became a new creation--"we are his workmanship"-- when he was inserted into Christ at Baptism (cf. 2 Cor 5:17). Once justified by Baptism, he should live in a manner consistent with his faith, that is, with his new life. The life of grace in fact moves him to do those good works which God wishes to see performed (he had already laid down that this should be so) and which perfect the work of salvation. Deeds, works, prove the genuineness of faith: "faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead" (Jas 2:17). Without these works--the practice of the theological and moral virtues--not only would faith be dead; our love for God and neighbor would be false. Having said that, it is also true that to bring about this renewal in man God counts on man's readiness to respond to grace and on his carrying out "good works".

Christian Tradition has always taught that the fruits of faith are a proof of its vitality. For example, this is what St Polycarp has to say: "It does my heart good to see how the solid roots of your faith, which have such a reputation ever since early times, are still flourishing and bearing fruit in Jesus Christ…Many desire to share in your joy, well knowing that it is by the will of God that you are saved through Jesus Christ" ("Letter to the Philippians", chap. 1).

Gospel Reading:

From: John 3:14-21

The Visit of Nicodemus (Continuation)
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(Jesus said to Nicodemus,) [14] And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, [15] that 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. [17] For God sent the Son into world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

[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. [17] For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. [18] He who believes in Him is not condemned; He who does not believe is condemned already, because He had not believed in the name of the only Son of God. [19] And this is the judgment, that the light has come into world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. [20] For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. [21] But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God."

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Commentary:

14-15. The bronze serpent which Moses set up on a pole was established by God to cure those who had been bitten by the poisonous serpents in the desert (cf. Numbers 21:8-9). Jesus compares this with His crucifixion, to show the value of His being raised up on the cross: those who look on Him with faith can obtain salvation. We could say that the good thief was the first to experience the saving power of Christ on the cross: he saw the crucified Jesus, the King of Israel, the Messiah, and was immediately promised that he would be in Paradise that very day (cf. Luke 23:39-43).

The Son of God took on our human nature to make known the hidden mystery of God's own life (cf. Mark 4:11; John 1:18; 3:1-13; Ephesians 3:9) and to free from sin and death those who look at Him with faith and love and who accept the cross of every day.

The faith of which our Lord speaks is not just intellectual acceptance of the truths He has taught: it involves recognizing Him as Son of God (cf. 1 John 5:1), sharing His very life (cf. John 1:12) and surrendering ourselves out of love and therefore becoming like Him (cf. John 10:27; 1 John 3:2). But this faith is a gift of God (cf. John 3:3, 5-8), and we should ask Him to strengthen it and increase it as the Apostles did: Lord "increase our faith!" (Luke 17:5). While faith is a supernatural, free gift, it is also a virtue, a good habit, which a person can practise and thereby develop: so the Christian, who already has the divine gift of faith, needs with the help of grace to make explicit acts of faith in order to make this virtue grow.

16-21. These words, so charged with meaning, summarize how Christ's death is the supreme sign of God's love for men (cf. the section on charity in the "Introduction to the Gospel according to John": pp. 31ff above). "`For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son' for its salvation. All our religion is a revelation of God's kindness, mercy and love for us. `God is love' (1 John 4:16), that is, love poured forth unsparingly. All is summed up in this supreme truth, which explains and illuminates everything. The story of Jesus must be seen in this light. `(He) loved me', St. Paul writes. Each of us can and must repeat it for himself--`He loved me, and gave Himself for me' (Galatians 2:20)" (Pope Paul VI, "Homily on Corpus Christi", 13 June 1976).

Christ's self-surrender is a pressing call to respond to His great love for us: "If it is true that God has created us, that He has redeemed us, that He loves us so much that He has given up His only-begotten Son for us (John 3:16), that He waits for us--every day!--as eagerly as the father of the prodigal son did (cf. Luke 15:11-32), how can we doubt that He wants us to respond to Him with all our love? The strange thing would be not to talk to God, to draw away and forget Him, and busy ourselves in activities which are closed to the constant promptings of His grace" (St. J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 251).

"Man cannot live without love. He remains a being that is incomprehensible for himself, his life is senseless, if love is not revealed to him, if he does not encounter love, if he does not experience it and make it his own, if he does not participate intimately in it. This…is why Christ the Redeemer `fully reveals man to himself'. If we may use the expression, this is the human dimension of the mystery of the Redemption. In this dimension man finds again the greatness, dignity and value that belong to his humanity…The one who wishes to understand himself thoroughly…must, with his unrest and uncertainty and even his weakness and sinfulness, with his life and death, draw near to Christ. He must, so to speak, enter into Him with all his own self, he must `appropriate' and assimilate the whole of the reality of the Incarnation and Redemption in order to find himself. If this profound process takes place within him, he then bears fruit not only of adoration of God but also of deep wonder at himself.

How precious must man be in the eyes of the Creator, if he `gained so great a Redeemer', ("Roman Missal, Exultet" at Easter Vigil), and if God `gave His only Son' in order that man `should not perish but have eternal life'. [...]

`Increasingly contemplating the whole of Christ's mystery, the Church knows with all the certainty of faith that the Redemption that took place through the Cross has definitively restored his dignity to man and given back meaning to his life in the world, a meaning that was lost to a considerable extent because of sin. And for that reason, the Redemption was accomplished in the paschal mystery, leading through the Cross and death to Resurrection" ([Pope] John Paul II, "Redemptor Hominis", 10).

Jesus demands that we have faith in Him as a first prerequisite to sharing in His love. Faith brings us out of darkness into the light, and sets us on the road to salvation. "He who does not believe is condemned already" (verse 18).

"The words of Christ are at once words of judgment and grace, of life and death. For it is only by putting to death that which is old that we can come to newness of life. Now, although this refers primarily to people, it is also true of various worldly goods which bear the mark both of man's sin and the blessing of God…No one is freed from sin by himself or by his own efforts, no one is raised above himself or completely delivered from his own weakness, solitude or slavery; all have need of Christ, who is the model, master, liberator, savior, and giver of life. Even in the secular history of mankind the Gospel has acted as a leaven in the interests of liberty and progress, and it always offers itself as a leaven with regard to brotherhood, unity and peace" (Vatican II, "Ad Gentes", 8).

Click here to go to the My Catholic Life! Devotional thread for today’s Gospel Reading

Click here to go to the FR thread for the Sacred Page meditations on the Scripture readings for this Sunday's Mass by Dr. John Bergsma.

[Catholic Caucus] Cardinal Burke announces novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe for ‘crises of our age’ (starts March 12)

“O God, the night is dark, and the road before us long. Lead us as you once led your people across the desert. By the light of Christ lifted up on the cross, show us your way and lead us to the Promised Land opened for us by the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, through whom we pray. Amen.”
(From Magnificat magazine)

March is the month of devotion to Saint Joseph:

Amen.

Readings at Mass

God's wrath and mercy are revealed in the exile and release of his people

You have been saved through grace

God sent his Son so that through him the world might be saved

Universalis podcast: The week ahead – from 10 March

Christian Art

Catena Aurea by St. Thomas Aguinas

John Ogilvie