Tuesday of the 2nd Week of Eastertide
Acts 4:32-37
Jn 3:7-15
“… the Son of Man must be lifted up as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
What is the opposite of putting someone down?
Can doing too much for a person seem like putting someone down? Can loving someone too much be putting someone down?
Can lifting someone up be putting someone down? This, I don’t think so.
In our lives today, we find ourselves battling for promotion, for recognition; to be seen, to be heard, to be loved. In our thirst for these, we unknowingly may have put those around us down so that we can seem to have been ‘lifted up’.
Have we lifted someone up recently? When was the last time? Why did we do so? How did it feel?
It is indeed amazing to know that when Christ was finally ‘put down’, He was being lifted up on the cross. In our readings today, this lifting up, lifting those around us up looked a lot like simply, working together, “The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul; no one claimed for his own use anything that he had, as everything they owned was held in common.” It wasn’t about who was better or more fortunate than the other, it’s not about pitying another, but sharing in this life knowing that we can all play a part for each other. Believing that those seemingly on a ‘lower’ place than us can have a greater role in our lives and that of others.
I believe this is what Christ’s lifting up also means, for us to know that we are deeply loved versus to be guilty that we have put Him there. Christ’s dying was also to entrust to each and eveyone of us His mission, to continue His mission on His behalf, whether we seem worthy or not. His lifting up which resulted in His body that He freely gives up in the Eucharist — whether we are worthy or even when we take Him for granted, when it sometimes just becomes a routine.
Brothers and sisters, as we begin to lift others around us up, may we also lift Jesus up, for Him to be the example in all of our lives, so as just with Moses lifting up the serpent in the desert, all who look to Jesus will be healed and be saved.
Jesus, may we work together with all to lift you up, cooperate with Your Grace, that Your will be done in our lives, that we may not wait to share in Your Glory in heaven but to already glorify You here on earth. Amen.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Benjamin Mao)
Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to learn to work together; to work for each other, to lift each other up, to lift you up so that all who look to You will be healed and be saved. Amen.
Thanksgiving: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirt, as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
OXYGEN 
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