'The answer to darkness is not more darkness' (Holy Cross homily)

 Last weekend and this, I am giving a financial report at all Masses, 

in order to be transparent and accountable.

But the readings and the events of the past week also need attention, 

so I will circle back to that in a moment.

(Here I repeated the financial report from last week; 

I couldn't be present at all eight Masses on one weekend.)

Now, let me pivot to that first reading which is very strange.

Why would God tell Moses to make a bronze serpent?

For that matter, why did God send serpents 

among the people in the first place?

The key is to recall both the serpent in the Garden: 

who was, more than an enemy of God, an enemy of humanity.

But here’s another detail many miss: 

the serpent was also one of the false gods of Egypt.

In short, God was reminding his people of their choice:

Go back to being slaves of evil in Egypt or go forward to a life of faith.

That’s why the serpent was nailed to the pole:

The healing they needed was to cast away the false god.

Destroy it and accept that it was destroyed.

Perhaps you wonder why our Lord Jesus 

would connect that episode to his own saving death on the Cross.

He is telling us that, like the Israelites, 

You and I must crucify all our false hopes and false gods.

And the number one false god each of us worships is ourselves.

Our own greed, lust, wrath and pride.

This past week brought a sad remembrance of 9/11, 

and shocking assassination of a political activist in Utah.

I remember the anger unleashed by those attacks 24 years ago:

I felt it myself at the time!

And there is a rage beginning to boil in our present day.

I’ve seen people say online, we have to “hate” those 

who commit these acts of violence, and those who justify it.

To which I say, I hope you say: 

NO! Nail that hatred to the Cross!

Crucify the false god of wrath and violence.

The answer to darkness is not more darkness.

You and I, as the St. John Paul II Parish Family, 

are called to be joyful Catholics sharing Christ with everyone. 

Our work is never done—and with your engagement and support, 

there is no telling how far we can go.  

Let’s dream big. Let’s do more. And let’s keep building a parish 

that draws others from darkness to the light of Jesus Christ.