A Reminder

     Reminders are very important for us, whether its the alarm clock telling us that its time to get up, or the alarm on our electronic gadgets telling us its time for this or that.  In the Book of Numbers in this morning's first reading from the Hebrew Scriptures, we have another kind of reminder presented to us. 
     The people grumbled and complained against God, and God sent saraph serpents as a punishment for their sin.  These serpents bit the people and many died.  Coming to their senses, the people repented and turned toward the mercy of God, who told Moses to make a bronze serpent and place it upon a pole and lift it high.  The scriptures say that "whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent looked at the bronze serpent, he lived".
     Was that bronze serpent a sacred object, a magic item that brought healing?  Why something so tangible placed before our eyes?
     When we confront the effects of our sin and transgressions, the turning of our back on God, we see death, emptiness, the void.  It reminds us of what we gave up, what we lost.  And maybe, just maybe, seeing that loss we may repent and turn back to the source of all healing and life - Jesus, the Christ.  That bronze serpent, lifted on a pole (by the way, did you ever notice the symbol of the medical profession) reminds us of our need to turn away from sin and to be healed of our failures and restored to life. 
     And as Good Friday approaches, remember the other image of one lifted high on a tree, one who has taken our sins upon Him so that, seeing, we may repent, and repenting, we may have life.

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     Our first regional penance service last evening saw the mercy of God manifest in our midst.  The numbers were small, but God's grace was enormous.  We are grateful for His love.  Tonight we are  at Immaculate Conception in Irwn.