All human activity is to find its purification in the paschal mystery.

On Saturday the Fourth Week of Lent our Church invites us to first read and reflect on a passage from the book of Numbers (20:1-13; 21:4-9) entitled "The waters of Meribah. The bronze serpent". Our treasure, which follows, is from the pastoral constitution on the Church in the modern world of the Second Vatican Council. Gaudium et spes ("Joys and Hopes"), the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, is one of the four constitutions resulting from the Second Vatican Council in 1965. It was the last and longest published document from the council and is the first constitution published by a Catholic ecumenical council to address the entire world. Gaudium et spes clarified and reoriented the role of the church's mission to people outside of the Catholic faith. It was the first time that the church took explicit responsibility for its role in the larger world. The constitution's creation was necessitated by fear of the irrelevance in the modern era due to its ignorance on problems that plague the modern world. The central teaching of Gaudium et Spes is that the Church is called to engage the modern world with hope, recognizing the dignity of every human person and the presence of God's grace within human history. It teaches that human joys and sufferings are shared by the followers of Jesus Christ, and that true human fulfillment is found in Him. The document emphasizes that the Church must work for justice, peace, family life, and the common good, while proclaiming that Christ fully reveals both God and the true meaning of the human person. The Book of Numbers derives its name from the account of the two censuses taken of the Hebrew people, one near the beginning and the other toward the end of the journey in the wilderness. It continues the story of that journey begun in Exodus and describes briefly the experiences of the Israelites for a period of thirty-eight years, from the end of their encampment at Sinai to their arrival at the border of the promised land. Numerous legal ordinances are interspersed in the account, making the book a combination of law and history.  The central message of the Book of Numbers is that God remains faithful to His people even when they are unfaithful, and He calls them to trust and obey Him on the journey to the Promised Land. Through Israel's repeated complaints, rebellions, and failures in the wilderness, the book shows the consequences of distrust and disobedience, yet also reveals God's enduring guidance, mercy, and commitment to His covenant. Ultimately, it teaches that progress toward God's promises requires faith, perseverance, and reliance on His leadership, even during times of trials and uncertainty.