+As we just heard, “as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up” that we might believe in him and have eternal life. These words remind me of Fr Elias’ chapter talk yesterday and of something Pope Francis has given recently as coronavirus catechesis. Fr Elias reminded us of how our care for the sick is care for Christ, our reception of guests, a welcoming of Christ.
Pope Francis tells us, quote: “faith, hope and love necessarily push us toward.. preference for those most in need, which goes beyond necessary assistance. Indeed it implies walking together, letting ourselves be evangelized by them, who know the suffering Christ well, letting ourselves be ‘infected’ by their experience of salvation, by their wisdom and by their creativity. Sharing with the poor means mutual enrichment. And, if there are unhealthy social structures that prevent them from dreaming of the future, we must work together to heal them, to change them.”
The suffering Christ is never far from any of us. If we are attentive, we can celebrate the Exaltation of the Holy Cross all day long.
(Num 21:4b-9; Jn 3:13-17)