Word to the Wise
Tuesday, March 28, 2023 - 5th Week of Lent - Tues
[Num 21:4-9 and John 8:21-30,]In punishment [for their complaints against God and Moses] the Lord sent among the people saraph serpents, which bit the people so that many of them died. Then the people came to MOses and said, "We have sinned in complaining against the Lord and you. Pray the Lord to take the serpents away from us." So Moses prayed for the people, and the Lord said to MOses, "Make a saraph and mount it on a pole, and whoever looks at it after being bitten will live." Moses accordingly made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole, and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent looked at the bronze serpent, he lived. [Numbers] "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM, and that I do nothing on my own, but I say only what the Father taught me. The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what is pleasing to him." [John]
The serpent mounted on a staff has been a universal symbol of someone working in health care. When two serpents appear on the staff, it was an ancient symbol of those in commerce! The single serpent on a pole was known as the Rod of Asclepius, the god of healing. Scholars have traced the symbolism to the ancient MIddle East and this may explain how it showed up in the Book of Numbers in the Old Testament.
Jesus refers to the biblical incident in his dialogue with NIcodemus in chapter three of the Gospel According to John, before the passage that we have for today's gospel. "And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." [John 3:14] He returns to the "lifted up" image in today's gospel. Along with Jesus' references to his "hour" [cf. John 2:4, etc], the dramatic tension of this gospel grows as we near the events of Holy Week. His passion, death and resurrection are that "hour."
The dramatic quality of the Gospel According to John invites us not only to follow the incidents "on the ground," as it were, but also into their significance. The devotion of the Stations of the Cross touches on part of this. Scripture scholars divide this gospel into the Book of Signs (Chaps 1-12) and the Book of Glory [Chaps 13-20]. The healing of the Man Born Blind [9:1-40], the the raising of Lazarus from the dead [11:1-53] and the anointing at Bethany [12:1-11] will be vivid "lead-ups" to the Last Supper and what follows. It is the passion account from the Gospel According to John that is read on Good Friday!
If we enter with mind and heart into the events of Holy Week, especially through this gospel, a profound experience can be realized. We will experience the whole purpose of Lent. AMEN
[Note to the Beloved Congregation. Each year the Southern Dominican Province [the Province of St. Martin DePorres] reaches out to friends and benefactors for assistance in educating our student brothers (seminarians) and caring for our aged and infirm brothers. We call this our 1216 Campaign after the year the Dominican Order was founded. If you are able to assist us in this effort, please sent your donation, made out to "Southern Dominican Province" [with the designation 1216 Campaign by Fr. RBWilliams] to Southern Dominican Province, P.O. Box 8129, New Orleans, LA 70182. Many thanks for your help. I'm 80 years old, so I know the importance of this effort!]
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