When you lift up the Son of Man

23 March Tuesday of the Fifth week of Lent Gospel: Saint John 8:21-30. Commentary of the day : Saint Bernard (1091-1153), Cistercian monk and doctor of the Church Sermon 1 for the first Sunday of November "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM" Isaiah the prophet describes an exalted vision for us: «I saw the Lord seated on a throne» (Is 6,1). What a wonderful sight, my brethren! Happy the eyes that saw it! Who would not want with all their heart to behold the splendor of so great a glory?... Yet here I am listening to that same prophet give us an account of a very different vision of the same Lord: «We saw him; he had no beauty, no splendor: we took him for a leper» (Is 53,2f. Vg.)... And so, if you desire to see Jesus in his glory, try first of all to contemplate him in his humiliation. Begin by gazing on the serpent raised up in the desert (cf. Jn 3,14)if you wish to see the King seated on his throne. Let the first vision fill you with humility so that the second may raise you from your humiliation. Let the former reprove and heal your pride before the latter fulfils and satisfies your desire. Do you see the Lord «emptied»? (Phil 2,7). Do not let this vision leave you untouched or you will not be able to behold him later on in the glory of his exaltation without anxiety. You will be like him», indeed, when you see him «as he is» (1Jn 3,2); so be like him now as you see what he became for your sake. If you do not refuse to become like him in his humiliation, he will certainly give you the likeness of his glory in return. He will never allow someone who has shared his Passion to be excluded from communion in his glory. So little does he refuse to admit someone who has shared his Passion into the Kingdom with him that the thief found himself in paradise that very day with him because he confessed him on the cross (Lk 23,42)... Yes indeed, «if we suffer with him, we shall reign with him» (Rom 8,17).