FIRST
READING: Numbers
21: 4 - 9
4
And they marched from mount Hor, by the way that leadeth to the Red
Sea,
to compass the land of Edom. And the people began to be weary of
their
journey and labour:
5
And speaking against God and Moses, they said: Why didst thou bring
us
out of Egypt, to die in the wilderness? There is no bread, nor have
we
any
waters: our soul now loatheth this very light food.
6
Wherefore the Lord sent among the people fiery serpents, which bit
them
and killed many of them.
7
Upon which they came to Moses, and said; We have sinned, because
we
have spoken against the Lord and thee: pray that he may take away
these
serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.
8
And the Lord said to him: Make a brazen serpent, and set it up for a
sign:
whosoever being struck shall look on it, shall live.
9
Moses therefore made a brazen serpent, and set it up for a sign:
which
when
they that were bitten looked upon, they were healed.
PSALM:
Psalms 78:
1 - 2, 34 - 38
1
Attend, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my
mouth.
2
I will open my mouth in parables: I will utter propositions from the
beginning.
34
When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned, and came
to
him early in the morning.
35
And they remembered that God was their helper: and the most high
God
their redeemer.
36
And they loved him with their mouth: and with their tongue they lied
unto
him:
37
But their heart was not right with him: nor were they counted
faithful in
his
covenant.
38
But he is merciful, and will forgive their sins: and will not destroy
them.
And
many a time did he turn away his anger: and did not kindle all his
wrath.
SECOND
READING: Philippians
2: 6 - 11
6
Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with
God:
7
But emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the
likeness
of men, and in habit found as a man.
8
He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death
of
the
cross.
9
For which cause, God also hath exalted him and hath given him a name
which
is above all names:
10
That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in
heaven,
on earth, and under the earth:
11
And that every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in
the
glory of God the Father.
GOSPEL:
John 3:
13 - 17
13
And no man hath ascended into heaven, but he that descended from
heaven,
the Son of man who is in heaven.
14
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of
man
be lifted up:
15
That whosoever believeth in him may not perish, but may have life
everlasting.
16
For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son: that
whosoever
believeth in him may not perish, but may have life everlasting.
17
For God sent not his Son into the world, to judge the world: but that
the
world may be saved by him.
