It is 20th March 2018. The readings are from Numbers 21:4-9; and the Gospel from John 8:21-30. Are we becoming impatient spiritually and with God and God’s plan for ourselves. When we are tired and impatient, we become angry and turn to easy means of getting things done through worshiping false gods. The presence of the serpent that symbolized the presence of devil in the first book of the Bible. In the first reading, we God punished God’s people by sending the poisonous serpents to punish them for worshiping false gods. In that context, through the penance of the people and the prayer of intercession of Moses, God asked Moses to fashion a bronze serpent for saving people. All those who lifted up the eyes with the contrition of heart towards the bronze serpent were saved. Instead of appreciating the presence of God in lifting up of a bronze serpent, people later on began to worship it as the idol that was destroyed by King Hezekiah (2 Kgs.18:4). What are the false gods, the objects of charmers and witchcraft we worship still even after believing in God? We have chosen to worship the false gods in many occasion when we are faced with the challenging situations of lives. It is time to look up to the cross of Jesus for our healing and forgiveness. The responsorial Psalm intercedes, “O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry for help reach you.” (Ps.102:1). In the Gospel Jesus warns us all to leave sins and embrace the new life offered by the passion, death, resurrection and glorification of Jesus on the Cross. “I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am He.”(Jn.8:24). We are left with a very few days to enter into Holy Week and so let us return to the Lord by humbling ourselves in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Penance. It is time to confess our sins to deal with the poisonous serpents that destroying our spiritual welfare. The toxin and the poison of sin remains in our souls until we confess our sins and look up to the Most Holy Cross of our Lord. Let us not complain about the presence of sins rather let us make efforts to get rid of them by approaching the Lord of forgiveness willingly today. It is time to look into ourselves and examine the impact of sin in our lives. “For we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” (Rom 5:11). May we spend reflecting the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus in the Way of the Cross during this week. Let us not forget to find a priest to confess our sins. May the Lord fill us all with God’s peace and blessings. May you have a good day.