SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14TH 2024.

TWENTY-THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.

FEAST OF THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS.

FIRST READING
Every one who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.
NUMBERS 21: 4b – 9

In those days: The people became impatient on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many sons of Israel died. And the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set up as a sign; and every one who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent, and set it up as a sign; and if a serpent bit any man, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.

The Word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm 78: 1 – 2, 34 – 35, 36 – 37, 38 (R.) 7b

R/. Never forget the deeds of the Lord!

Give ear, my people, to my teaching;
incline your ear to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth in a parable
And utter hidden lessons of the past. R/.

When he slew them, then they sought him,
repented and earnestly sought God.
They would remember that God was their rock,
God the Most High their redeemer. R/.

Yet they deceived him with their mouths;
they lied to him with their tongues.
For their hearts were not steadfast towards him;
They were not faithful to his covenant. R/.

Yet he who is full of compassion
Forgave them their sin and spared them.
So often he held back his anger,
and did not stir up all his rage. R/.

SECOND READING
He humbled himself, therefore God has exalted him.
PHILIPPIANS 2: 6 – 11

Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, 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.

The Word of the Lord.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

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

GOSPEL
The Son of man must be lifted up.
JOHN 3: 13 – 17

At that time: Jesus said to Nicodemus, “No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that who ever believes in him may have eternal life.” For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that who ever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mugovera 14 Gunyana – September;

Zuvaguru roKusimudzirwa kweMuchinjikwa

Chiverengo chokutanga: Kuverengwa 21,4b-9

Inzwai chiverengo chinobva mubhuku roKuverengwa
4VaIsiraeri vari murenje, vakaora mwoyo, 5 vakanyunyutira Mwari naMosesi vachiti,
“Ko, makatiburitsireiko kuIjipiti? Heya maida
kuti tifire mugwenga muno! Hamuna chokudya
kana mvura. Tafinhwa notuchingwa utwu tusina
maturo!”
6 Tenzi akatumira vaIsiraeri nyoka dzinouturu
hunopisa somoto, dzikavaruma, vanhu vazhinji veIsiraeri vakafa. 7 Vanhu vakauya kuna Mosesi
vakati,
“Takatadza nokuti takanyunyutira Tenzi nemi.
Tinamatireiwo kuna Tenzi kuti atibvisire
nyoka idzi.”
Naizvozvo Mosesi ndokuvakumbirira. 8 Tenzi
ndokutaurira Mosesi achiti,
“Pfura nyoka inouturu hunopisa somoto,
uiturike pabango,
saka ani naani anenge arumwa,
kana akatarisa nyoka yaunopfura,
achararama.”
9 Mosesi akapfura nyoka yendarira akaiturika
pabango. Naizvozvo ani naani ainge arumwa aiti
akangotarisa nyoka yendarira, obva ararama.
Shoko raTenzi.

Rwiyo rwokutsinhira:
Nziyo 78,1bc-2.34-35.36-37.38. (D – 7)

(D) – Regai kukanganwa, mabasa aMwari.
Teererai vanhu vangu, kune zvandinokudzidzisai,
rerekerai nzeve dzenyu kumazwi omuromo
wangu.
2Ndichazarura muromo wangu nomufananidzo,
ndichataura madimikira akadzama
apasichigare.
(D) – Regai kukanganwa, mabasa aMwari.
34Paakavauraya vakamutsvaka,
vakatendeuka vakatsvakisisa Mwari.
35Vakayeuka kuti Mwari ndiye dombo ravo,
uye kuti Mwari, Wokumusorosoro, ndiye
mununuri wavo.
(D) – Regai kukanganwa, mabasa aMwari.
36Asi vakamubata kumeso nemiromo yavo,
vakamurevera nhema norurimi rwavo.
37Vakanga vasiri pachokwadi naye,
havana kuita zviri pachokwadi nechitenderano
chake.
(D) – Regai kukanganwa, mabasa aMwari.
38Asi iye netsiye nyoro dzake, akavaregerera uipi
hwavo, akarega kuvaparadza,
akadzora hasha dzake kazhinji,
akarega kuviruka nehasha dzake dzose.
(D) – Regai kukanganwa, mabasa aMwari.

Chiverengo chechipiri: VaFiripi 2,6-11

Inzwai chiverengo chinobva mutsamba yaPauro kuvaFiripi
Hama dzangu, 6 Kunyange zvake Jesu akanga ari
zvimwechetezvo naMwari, haana kuti ndoramba
ndakangoomerana nokuenzana naMwari ikoko. 7Asi akazvidurura zvokuzvikwengura iye pachake,
akatora chimiro chomuranda, akaberekwa akangoitawo zvakangoita vanhu. 8 Ava munhu kudaro,
akazvidukupisa akateerera kudzamara pakufa,
rufu rwomuchinjikwa.
9 Naizvozvo Mwari akamusimudzirawo pamusorosoro, akamupa zita rapamusorosoro kupfuura
mazita ose; 10 zvokuti kuremekedza zita raJesu,
mabvi ose avari kudenga, navari pasi pano, navari
pasi penyika, anofanira kumupfugamira, 11 uye kuti
rurimi rumwe norumwe rutaure pachena kuti Jesu
ndiTenzi, kuitira kuti Mwari Baba varumbidzwe.
Shoko raTenzi.

Kupemberera Shoko Rakanaka:

Areruya, Areruya. Tinokupfugamirai imi
Kristu, tinokurumbidzai. Zvamakanunura
vanhu vose nomuchinjikwa wenyu mutsvene.
Areruya.

Shoko Rakanaka:
Johani 3,13-17

Inzwai Shoko Rakanaka rakanyorwa naJohani
Jesu akati kunaNikodhimasi:
13 “Hapana akambokwira kudenga, kusiya iye
akaburuka achibva kudenga, Mwanakomana
womunhu. 14 Sokusimudzira nyoka mudenga kwakaita
Mosesi murenje, saizvozvo Mwanakomana
womunhu, anofanira kusimudzwawo,
15 kuti munhu wose anotenda maari awane
upenyu husingaperi.
16Mwari akada pasi zvikuru zvokuti akapa Mwanakomana wake mumwechete, kuti munhu
wose anotenda maari arege kufa,
asi kuti awane upenyu husingaperi.
17Nokuti Mwari haana kutumira Mwanakomana
wake pasi kuzopa pasi mhosva, asi kuti pasi
paponeswe naye.”
Shoko Rakanaka raTenzi.

GOSPEL REFLECTION: The Transforming Power of the Cross
Saturday , September 14, 2024

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. (John 3:16–17)

If Jesus would never have given His life on a cross for the salvation of the world, then a cross would never have been seen in “exultation.” A cross, in and of itself, is an instrument of death, a horrific and violent death. It’s also an instrument of humiliation and torture. Yet, today, the Cross is seen as a holy and blessed object. We hang crosses in our homes, wear them around our neck, keep them in our pocket on the end of the rosary, and spend time in prayer before them. The Cross is now an exalted image by which we turn to God in prayer and surrender. But that is only the case because it was on a cross that we were saved and brought to eternal life.

If you step back and consider the amazing truth that one of the worst instruments of torture and death is now seen as one of the holiest of images on earth, it should be awe inspiring. Comprehending this fact should lead us to the realization that God can do anything and everything. God can use the worst and transform it into the best. He can use death to bring forth life.

Though our celebration today, the “Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross,” is first and foremost a feast by which we give glory to the Father for what He did in the Person of His divine Son, it is also a feast by which we must humbly understand that God can “exalt” every cross we endure in life and bring forth much grace through them.

What is your heaviest cross? What is the source of your greatest suffering? Most likely, as you call this to mind, it is painful to you. Most often, our crosses and sufferings are things we seek to rid ourselves of. We easily point to crosses in life and blame them for a lack of happiness. We can easily think that if only this or that were to change or be removed, then our life would be better. So what is that cross in your life?

The truth is that whatever your heaviest cross is, there is extraordinary potential for that cross to become an actual source of grace in your life and in the world. But this is only possible if you embrace that cross in faith and hope so that our Lord can unite it to His and so that your crosses can also share in the exaltation of Christ’s Cross. Though this is a profoundly deep mystery of faith, it is also a profoundly deep truth of our faith.

Reflect, today, upon your own crosses. As you do, try not to see them as a burden. Instead, realize the potential within those crosses. Prayerfully look at your crosses as invitations to share in Christ’s Cross. Say “Yes” to your crosses. Choose them freely. Unite them to Christ’s Cross. As you do, have hope that God’s glory will come forth in your life and in the world through your free embrace of them. Know that these “burdens” will be transformed and become a source of exaltation in your life by the transforming power of God.

PRAYER:
My exalted Lord, I turn to You in my need and with the utmost faith in Your divine power to save. Please give me the grace I need to fully embrace every cross in my life with hope and faith in You. Please transform my crosses so that You will be exalted through them and so that they will become an instrument of Your glory and grace. Jesus, I trust in You.