My Only

September 14, 2018

Have you ever had something that you called “my only”? Is there one treasure of your heart that you would like to hold there forever? Do you have a person, a memory, an experience, or a prized possession that means more to you than anything else? One of my favorite scriptures is, “Wherever your treasure is, there also your heart will be.” (Matthew 6:21) These treasures that we store in the depths of our souls give us our spiritual pulse, and our meaning. They anchor us to our identity and they give comfort us when we have lost ourselves. A treasure that I consider “my only” is my dad’s prayer journal that my mom found after he had died. It is a book that he filled with his favorite scripture, inspirational quotes, funny anecdotes, and lots and lots of prayers. Whenever I am in a place of doubt, darkness, insecurity, or despair, I pull out “my only” and read love letters hand written from my dad and somehow I know that all will be well. I would NEVER give this treasure away. 

Today’s gospel reminds us how big God’s love is for each one of us. He gives us “His Only”. He gives us the treasure of His heart. He gives us His Son so that we can be anchored in our identity, and comforted when we get lost. He gives us His everything so that when we are in doubt, darkness, insecurity, or despair, we can read the love letters hand written by our Good Good Father and somehow know that all will be well. Jesus is our spiritual pulse and our meaning, and God gives Jesus to ALL of us. Can you imagine giving your “my only” to anyone, let alone people that you knew would dishonor it, not cherish it, ignore it, and even destroy it? God has trusted you and me with His “My Only” to share, to cherish, and to hold up for all to see. This exultation of God’s “My Only” will be a witness for all who despair, all who are lost, and all who need love. We have the tremendous privilege to hold this treasure as our “my only” and the sole requirement to keeping it is to give it away, “So much the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish, but might have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” 

Wherever your treasure is, there also your heart will be, and God has given us His heart, His “My Only”, so that we will be saved, and it is well with my soul. 

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Lectionary: 638 

Reading 1 NM 21:4B-9

With their patience worn out by the journey,
the people complained against God and Moses,
"Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert,
where there is no food or water?
We are disgusted with this wretched food!"

In punishment the LORD sent among the people saraph serpents,
which bit the people so that many of them died.
Then the people came to Moses and said,
"We have sinned in complaining against the LORD and you.
Pray the LORD to take the serpents from us."
So Moses prayed for the people, and the LORD said to Moses,
"Make a saraph and mount it on a pole,
and if any who have been bitten look at it, they will live."
Moses accordingly made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole,
and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent 
looked at the bronze serpent, he lived. 

Responsorial Psalm PS 78:1BC-2, 34-35, 36-37, 38

R. (see 7b) Do not forget the works of the Lord!
Hearken, my people, to my teaching;
incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth in a parable,
I will utter mysteries from of old.
R. Do not forget the works of the Lord!While he slew them they sought him
and inquired after God again,
Remembering that God was their rock
and the Most High God, their redeemer.
R. Do not forget the works of the Lord!
But they flattered him with their mouths
and lied to him with their tongues,
Though their hearts were not steadfast toward him,
nor were they faithful to his covenant.
R. Do not forget the works of the Lord!
But he, being merciful, forgave their sin
and destroyed them not;
Often he turned back his anger
and let none of his wrath be roused.
R. Do not forget the works of the Lord!

Reading 2 PHIL 2:6-11

Brothers and sisters:
Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you,
because by your Cross you have redeemed the world.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel JN 3:13-17

Jesus said to Nicodemus:
"No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.