First Reading

Reading from the Book of Numbers

Numbers 21, 4-9

In those days, the people grew impatient and grumbled against God and against Moses, saying: «Why did you bring us out of Egypt? To die in the desert? We have no bread or water, and we are already tired of this miserable food».

Then God sent venomous snakes against the people, which bit them, and many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said to him: «We have sinned by grumbling against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord to take the snakes away from us». Moses prayed to the Lord for the people and the Lord answered him: «Make a snake like these and raise it on a pole. Whoever has been bitten by the snakes and looks at the one you make will live». Moses made a bronze snake and raised it on a pole; and if anyone was bitten and looked at the bronze snake, they were healed.

Gospel

Reading from the holy gospel according to John

John 3, 13-17

At that time, Jesus said to Nicodemus: «No one has gone up to heaven except the Son of Man, who came down from heaven and is in heaven. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through him».