April 5, 2022, Saint Vincent Ferrer
In a quote we’ll get from John’s Gospel today, Jesus comes the closest to outright saying that he is God. In an oblique reference to crucifixion, he says, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM.” This title is the same one God, speaking from the burning bush, told Moses to use, as we heard earlier this Lent from the book of Exodus. Today we see Moses once again going to bat for the Israelites. They complained about not liking the manna God was giving them. God punished them with snakes, but Moses asked God to relent. God did; however, he required them to face their fears in order to be saved—gaze upon a lifted-up snake. We must gaze upon our fears—our own death—to be saved. We must turn to God, who was broken and killed on a cross. The way to salvation comes only through the cross. Not only the Cross of Christ, but our daily crosses. Facing life square in the face, with the trust and faith that God, who died for us, will save us, is the way to resurrection. We die, we rise—just as Jesus did. He who was lifted up, who became human and died, will raise us up, too. Facing our fears is never easy, but with God “All things are possible.”