Daily Readings - Sun Mar 23 2025

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 God⁷And the Lord said to him: "I have seen the affliction of my people in Egypt, and I have heard their outcry because of the harshness of those who are over the works⁸And knowing their sorrow, I have descended in order to free them from the hands of the Egyptians, and to lead them from that land into a good and spacious land, into a land which flows with milk and honey, to the places of the Canaanite, and Hittite, and Amorite, and Perizzite, and Hivite, and Jebusite¹³Moses said to God: "Behold, I will go to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ If they say to me, ‘What is his name?’ What shall I say to them?¹⁴God said to Moses, "I AM WHO AM." He said: "Thus shall you say to the sons of Israel: ‘HE WHO IS has sent me to you.’ ¹⁵And God said again to Moses: "Thus shall you say to the sons of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is the name for me in eternity, and this is my memorial from generation to generation

1 Corinthians

Chapter 10

¹For I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and they all went across the sea²And in Moses, they all were baptized, in the cloud and in the sea³And they all ate of the same spiritual food⁴And they all drank of the same spiritual drink. And so, they all were drinking of the spiritual rock seeking to obtain them; and that rock was Christ⁵But with most of them, God was not well-pleased. For they were struck down in the desert⁶Now these things were done as an example for us, so that we might not desire evil things, just as they desired¹⁰And you should not murmur, as some of them murmured, and so they perished by the destroyer¹¹Now all of these things happened to them as an example, and so they have been written for our correction, because the final age has fallen upon us¹²And so, whosoever considers himself to be standing, let him be careful not to fall

Luke

Chapter 13

¹And there were present, at that very time, some who were reporting about the Galileans, whose blood Pilate mixed with their sacrifices²And responding, he said to them: "Do you think that these Galileans must have sinned more than all other Galileans, because they suffered so much³No, I tell you. But unless you repent, you will all perish similarly⁴And those eighteen upon whom the tower of Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they also were greater transgressors than all the men living in Jerusalem⁵No, I tell you. But if you do not repent, you will all perish similarly.⁶And he also told this parable: "A certain man had a fig tree, which was planted in his vineyard. And he came seeking fruit on it, but found none⁷Then he said to the cultivator of the vineyard: ‘Behold, for these three years I came seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I have found none. Therefore, cut it down. For why should it even occupy the land?⁸But in response, he said to him: ‘Lord, let it be for this year also, during which time I will dig around it and add fertilizer⁹And, indeed, it should bear fruit. But if not, in the future, you shall cut it down.’

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter three distinct yet interconnected messages that guide us in our faith journey. The first reading from Exodus recounts Moses' encounter with the burning bush, where God reveals Himself as "I AM WHO AM" and commissions Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. This moment underscores God's initiative in salvation and the call to trust in His presence, even in uncertain circumstances. The second reading from 1 Corinthians serves as a cautionary tale, using the Israelites' wilderness experiences to warn against desires and murmuring. Paul emphasizes that their stories are examples for us, urging us to learn from the past and stand firm in faith. This reading highlights the importance of humility and gratitude, reminding us that our actions have consequences and that we must avoid the pitfalls of complacency. In the Gospel, Luke presents Jesus' teachings on repentance and God's patience. Jesus uses tragic events and the parable of the fig tree to stress the need for amendment of life. This parable teaches us about God's patience and the opportunity for repentance, encouraging us to bear fruit in our lives. Together, these readings remind us of God's active role in our lives, the importance of faithfulness, and the call to repentance. They invite us to reflect on our relationship with God, to learn from past mistakes, and to embrace the grace of repentance. Let us respond by deepening our trust in God, remaining vigilant in our faith, and bearing fruit in our lives, mindful of God's patience and the call to holiness.