# The Bronze Serpent and the Crucifix: A Lenten Reflection
*2022-10-17*

> Bill Young reflects on Numbers 21:7‑9 and how the bronze serpent points us to the crucifix, reminding us of Christ’s healing power during Lent.

## Scripture Reading

Numbers 21:7‑9 tells us that the Israelites complained against the Lord and Moses, saying, “We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take away the snakes.” Moses prayed, and the Lord instructed him to make a replica of a poisonous snake and set it on a pole. Anyone who was bitten could look at the bronze serpent and live.

## Why We Look to the Crucifix

As Catholics we often turn to a crucifix—a cross bearing the body of Christ—rather than a plain cross. The bronze serpent was an image God gave the people so they could be healed. Likewise, the crucifix is an image that reminds us Christ’s sacrifice is available for our healing and forgiveness.

## Christ’s Sacrifice as Healing

What seemed at first a shameful execution—Christ’s death on the cross—was transformed by God into the ultimate act of love. Through that sacrifice we receive the grace to be renewed, especially during this Lenten season.

## Living the Mystery in Lent

As we journey through Lent, let us keep the image of the crucifix before us, opening our hearts to the healing it signifies. By looking to Christ, we receive the forgiveness and new life that the bronze serpent symbolized for Israel.

*When we gaze upon the crucifix, we encounter the same healing power that the bronze serpent offered the Israelites.*