May the Lord grant you grace, peace and health in the Holy Spirit.
It is 05th April 2022. We reflect on Numbers 21:4-9 and John 8:21-30.
Patience perseveres pain and persistent problems. Patience is a discipline in encountering truth in fullness. We were not born with patience we need to train our minds to discern even when it is so murky, squeaky, and leaky. It is more than a virtue, awaiting, an awareness but it is consistent behaviour and endurance to believe that it is going to be alright. Before we learn to be patient with others and God, let us learn to be patient with ourselves.
We all long for freedom, happiness, and security at all levels of our life. But most of the time we feel miserable, enslaved, imprisoned, unhappy and insecure. It is not what we do affects our beings to go through the pathology of mind but the other way around indeed.
The people of Israel had this pursuit of happiness, liberty, and longing to be in the Promise Land when they were under slavery. But then when God took initiative to bring them back to the original glory, people preferred someone better to relate to than God. Obedience and worship became burdensome, time consuming and boring. God attempts to establish connections through the events of life.
The first reading suggests our salvation from the Cross of Jesus after being bitten and bruised by sin. The desperation of the Psalmist echoes the feelings of the people: “O Lord, listen to my prayer and let my cry for help reach you.”
Sin not only cuts relationships but gradually and surely kills the connection with God. Jesus reiterates this at least three times in this small passage: “You will die in your sins.”
Whether it is the exaltation of the Cross or the exaltation of Jesus to Heaven, accepting and believing in it brings us new life in God. Whenever we feel left out, criticized to the core and crucified alive, there is no need to be afraid because God is with us in Jesus. May we confess our sins and continue to enjoy the glory and blessings of the Cross. God bless you.