The Catholic Calendar for Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Wednesday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
Numbers 21:4b-9
Psalm 78:1bc-2, 34-35, 36-37, 38
John 3:13-17

A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:

The readings of the day are full of symbolism, familiar to the people of Moses' time. In the first reading a serpent is placed on a pole and anyone who had been bitten by a serpent and looked at the pole, would be healed. The people were familiar with the rod or staff of Aesculapius, son of Apollo. The name, Aesculapius, was the Roman name for the god of medicine. Today it is used by some medical associations as a symbol for healing, sometimes called the caduceus. (Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary, 2001)

The death of Christ on the Holy Cross, brings that symbol to completion . The actual death, more than a symbol, opens again the gates of paradise for all of humankind and enables us to attain our full roles as brothers and sisters of Christ. We still have the gift of free will and we can accept or reject that role. Let that death not be in vain!

"Dear Jesus, thank you for dying on the Cross for us"

Joan of Jesus, OCDS
(jmurphy at utica dot edu)