In the Gospel proclamation, Jesus tells Nicodemus that just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted and whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. The serpent was lifted up on a standard and Jesus was lifted up on a cross. The cross – a sign of human cruelty at its worst was the instrument of love through which God saved us. The cross therefore became a sign of salvation and eternal life for whoever would believe. As disciples of Christ, we often make the sign of the cross over ourselves. We make it as we start our prayers as a way of focusing our hearts and minds on Jesus. We also make it after prayer in the hope that we would stay close to God. In times of suffering and pain, we are to look to the cross as a sign of strength and protection. Today, let us resort to look at the cross more often. When making the sign of the cross, let us realize that we are bringing our whole being to God – hearts, minds and souls.

PRAYER: Abba Father, may I have the courage to embrace my crosses, uniting them with the cross of Jesus Amen.