First Sunday Lent 2013 Reflections


Scripture readings for today's Mass are here.

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REFLECTIONS


  • My reflection from 2010 is here, based on the writings of Henri Nouwen who identified three temptations for modern Christians that relate to the three temptations of Jesus.
I've extracted some of the relevant parts from last year's reflection and put them below...

"Interesting article and comments here on the connection between Moses lifting up the enigmatic life-saving bronze serpent he had taken into the desert and the cross on which Jesus was crucified resonating with these opening words of John's Gospel today:
The author of the article above visited the Holy Land where he says:
"Thinking back to modern-day Jordan, where the memorial of the bronze serpent is, you can see into the "promised land" on a clear day.  I've stood there a few times over the years.  It is a marvellous act to look at the serpent, and then to realize that as you gaze, you are looking toward the promised land.  
It is a sort of living geographical typology.  When we look to Jesus on the cross, as despised as a serpent, we can see past the cross toward the resurrection, the place of salvation."

The Sanctuary is a revered Holy Site, the presumed site of Moses death and a centre for pilgrimages since earliest Christian times. On March 19, 2000, Pope John Paul II visited the site during his pilgrimage to the Holy Land and planted an olive tree beside the Byzantine chapel as a symbol of peace.





A 12th century fresco rescued from the crypt in the Roman Church of St. Nicholas in Prison depicts Moses, the first prophet of the Old Testament.  Moses, according to the Bible, was the first prophet to see God and to hear Him speak.
The 1st Reading is the passage from the Old Testament where Moses speaks to the people about them having to leave Egypt and go to "the land where it will overflow with milk and honey".





Image above is a Honey dipper from Israel.






 
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 RELATED ARTICLES
In the process of preparing a post for this Sunday I came across my post from August last year on the theme of "Letting Go," which seems prescient for this week.

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