Daily Readings - Wed Jul 19 2023
Exodus
1Now Moses was pasturing the sheep of his father-in-law Jethro, a priest of Midian. And when he had driven the flock into the interior of the desert, he came to the mountain of God, Horeb2And the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. And he saw that the bush was burning and was not burnt3Therefore, Moses said, "I will go and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.4Then the Lord, discerning that he proceeded on to see it, called to him from the midst of the bush, and he said, "Moses, Moses." And he responded, "Here I am.5And he said: "Lest you should approach here, remove the shoes from your feet. For the place on which you stand is holy ground.6And he said, "I am the God of your father: the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Moses hid his face, for he dared not look directly at God9And so, the outcry of the sons of Israel has come to me. And I have seen their affliction, with which they are oppressed by the Egyptians10But come, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may lead my people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.11And Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should lead the sons of Israel out of Egypt?12And he said to him: "I will be with you. And you will have this as a sign that I have sent you: When you will have brought my people out of Egypt, you will offer sacrifice to God upon this mountain.
Matthew
25At that time, Jesus responded and said: "I acknowledge you, Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the prudent, and have revealed them to little ones26Yes, Father, for this was pleasing before you27All things have been delivered to me by my Father. And no one knows the Son except the Father, nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and those to whom the Son is willing to reveal him
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two profound moments of divine encounter and revelation. In the first reading from Exodus, Moses is tending his father-in-law’s sheep when he comes upon a burning bush. This is no ordinary bush, for it is ablaze with fire yet remains unharmed. From this bush, God speaks to Moses, calling him by name and commissioning him to lead the Israelites out of their slavery in Egypt. Moses, humbled and awestruck, questions his own worthiness for such a task, but God assures him, “I will be with you.” This exchange reminds us that God often calls the unlikely and the hesitant to fulfill great purposes, and that His presence is our greatest assurance.
In the Gospel, Jesus offers a prayer of thanksgiving to the Father, praising Him for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom to the “little ones” while hiding them from the wise and the learned. Jesus emphasizes that all things have been handed over to Him by the Father, and that no one truly knows the Father except through the Son. This passage invites us to embrace humility and simplicity of heart, for it is in such a posture that we are most open to receiving God’s revelation and grace.
Both readings call us to reflect on our own relationship with God. Like Moses, we may feel inadequate or unworthy when faced with challenges or opportunities to serve. Yet, God’s promise to Moses—“I will be with you”—is a promise extended to us as well. Like the “little ones” in the Gospel, we are invited to approach God with childlike faith, trusting that His ways are beyond our understanding but always rooted in love. Let us, therefore, embrace humility, trust in God’s presence, and remain open to the ways He may be calling us to serve and grow in our faith.