Good News Reflections:
Making scripture meaningful to your daily life
by Terry Modica
Complaints mean that we’ve forgotten how much God is already blessing us.
Good News Reflection for:
Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
September 14, 2025
Today’s Prayer:
My Lord, I thank You for giving everything to save me. Help me to understand that Your calling is an opportunity, never a condemnation, never a punishment. Amen.
IMPROVE YOUR DAY!
Powerful Catholic prayers are available on our YouTube channel.
Today’s Readings:
Numbers 21:4b-9
Ps 78:1bc-2, 34-38 (with 7b)
Philippians 2:6-11
John 3:13-17
bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/091425.cfm
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
bible.usccb.org/podcasts/audio/daily-mass-reading-podcast-september-14-2025
How humble was Jesus?
Jesus is God and therefore we must humble ourselves before him — and yet he humbles himself before us! This is explained in next Sunday’s second reading.
Next Sunday’s Gospel reading tells us that Jesus came down from heaven. That’s humility! Would you or I leave the comforts of heavenly perfection to enter into the bad, mean world to mingle with bad, mean people?
We have a natural longing for heaven. It’s our true home, and instinctively we know it. That’s why we complain when we experience something unheavenly here on earth. We cry, “God, I’m tired of this trial! When are You going to make it end?” (That’s what the Israelites said in the desert.) “God, You obviously don’t understand how bad this problem is for me.”
Oops, that’s the sin that got the Israelites into trouble (see Num. 21:4-9). Complaining is an indication that we’ve let our heavenly expectations push aside our earthly need to trust God. “Do not forget the works of the Lord,” the responsorial Psalm reminds us. Complaints mean that we have forgotten.
Did Jesus complain? He got upset sometimes, but he never complained, not even when they beat him and nailed him to the cross. Instead, he prayed for his persecutors. Because of this absolute love, we know without a doubt that “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world.”
Lord, help me to humbly stop complaining and condemning. Amen!
Questions for Personal Reflection:
What’s your list of complaints? How often do you complain? About what? What words can you speak instead that will redirect your thoughts to God’s blessings so that you remember why you can trust that he cares?
Questions for Community Faith Sharing:
What are some of the blessings God has given you? Name a blessing that came as a result of a difficult time you experienced. What are methods you use to remember the blessings when you feel like complaining?
For more on this, read our WordByte called: “The Passion in the Garden” @ https://wordbytes.org/lent/passion-in-the-garden
© by Terry A. Modica, Good News Ministries
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