The Hope of Things to Come

Good Morning, dear reader, and happy Tuesday! The sun is out, which is a good thing! Today's reading in the book of Numbers kind of reminds me of our transition from winter to spring. We slogged our way through snow, ice and bitter cold, holding on to the promise of the coming spring and warmer weather. We tick off the days on the calendar in anticipation of better weather. And, as the months wore on, we saw the subtle signs. Less snow, less cold. A little more sunshine. The honking of the returning geese. The chirpping of the birds in the morning. This gives us hope that it won't be long till we see spring and all its glory! 

I'm sure the Israelites must've felt the same way. They've been travelling for a long time, experiencing war and hunger. They just wanted to get to the place that God had promised them. They wanted to be able to finally relax and enjoy their new lives. The desert was just about the last straw. No edible food, no water, just sand.. lots and lots of sand. They wondered if God really had a plan for them. They've fought battle after battle. Their numbers were dwindling. Would any of them still be left to even settle in the promised land? 

The Israelites began complaining to Moses, they complained to God. God hears their complaints
and becomes angered that they would question His plans for them. To complain about their journey. In an answer to their grievances, He sends snakes to punish them! One by one, the snakes pick off more of our weary warriors. The people realise what their complaining has done. It made it seem like they doubted God's plan. They realise what they had done was wrong. They ask God to forgive them. In His infinite mercy, God provides them with a remedy. He tells Moses to make a bronze serpent and put it on the tip of a spear, "Make a saraph (snake) and mount it on a pole, and if anyone who has been bitten looks at it, he will recover" (Nm 21:8, NAB).

We know that God wouldn't ask us to worship some false idol. So why the snake on the pole? This is actually a metaphore. We have to look in John's Gospel for the explanation, "And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up" (Jn 3:14, NAB). God was telling His people to remember that when they question His motives, when they question why this is happening, they are not putting God first. They are not relying on their faith. They need to trust that God has a plan for them.

We experience the bad so that we can appreciate the good things even more! We need to experience the pain, the uncertainty, to put our faith to the test. We need to put in the hard work first. We have to be reminded that we must trust God's plan for us. It is only through these trials of life that we can appreciate the good things that happen even more! We can look back at how far we have come, the things we have survived, the things that have brought us to this place we are now at. 

Now... on to John's Gospel... 

This is the first time that we are seeing the Jesus alluding to the fact of His eventual death, 'I am going away and you will not look for me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going you cannot come" (Jn 8:21, NAB). The ones listening speculate that Jesus is referring to His own death, which He was. Except that it would not be self-inflicted. Rather, it was pre-destined by God. He further tells them that if they do not believe in Him, and in His Father, then will we die with the stain of our sins on our souls. Jesus admits that He can say quite a bit about their sins and unholy ways, but He chooses not to, for His words come from God above. He speaks for His Father. And His Father is the only one who can judge. Jesus tells us that the only way we can follow Him is by believing in Him, in the things that His death and ressurection will bring us. Jesus will redeem us and our sins through His own suffering. He will give us the greatest gift of all, eternal life in heaven. 

So, dear reader, this concludes our "lesson" for today. Keep praying, keep believing. Jesus loves us all. And as always... be a nice human. 😇

For a better reflection on today's word, watch Father Bill's video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYuHzSHvJ3o

Here is a version of "Lead Me To The Cross" by Maranatha Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c0-ga-5dRg

St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you all!! Who is St. Patrick and why do we celebrate him? St. Patrick of Ireland is one of the world's most popular saints. He was born in Roman Britain and when he was fourteen or so, he was captured by Irish pirates during a raiding party and taken to Ireland as a slave to herd and tend sheep. At the time, Ireland was a land of Druids and pagans but Patrick turned to God and wrote his memoir, The Confession. He often used shamrocks to explain the Holy Trinity and entire kingdoms were eventually converted to Christianity after hearing Patrick's message.

Patrick preached and converted all of Ireland for 40 years. He worked many miracles and wrote of his love for God in Confessions. He lived in poverty, traveling and enduring much suffering. He died March 17, 461 in Saul, Ireland, where he had built the first Irish church. He is believed to be buried in Down Cathedral, Downpatrick, Ireland. His grave was marked in 1990 with a granite stone. In the United States, he is the patron saint of immigrants.

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Today's Gospel isn't very difficult to understand. It states plainly that those who follow in the Lord and trust in the Lord will reap their benefits in Heaven. Those who value material things, those who do not reach out to others, who will not repent, will suffer their fate in Hell. It is basically "you reap what you sow". However, these are the very same people that we need to show mercy to. We need to pray that the Lord will change their hearts. 

In Jeremiah, the story reminds us that we should not rely solely on ourselves. We will become like a tree that is planted in the middle of the desert. There is not much nourishment for a tree planted in sand and exposed to heat with little water. If you plant that same tree near a water source, where there is equal parts sun and shade, that tree will grow big and strong. God's word is water to our souls. It provides us the substance we need in order to grow in our faith. 

Lent is the best time to renew yourself in God's love, to dive deep into His word. It will fill your soul with all you need to make your faith strong so that you will be able to withstand the storms that will eventually come into your life. Take some time to reflect on today's reading and take an inventory of where you stand with your beliefs. Ask yourself if you are too reliant on yourself instead of placing your burdens with God. 

Be blessed, dear reader. And, as usual.... be a nice human.

Here is today's reflection from Father Bill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zeek62WTFs

Here is a wonderful song to get your heart prepared for prayer and reflection: https://youtu.be/4g-iYws5868