Daily Readings - Wed Jul 19 2023
Exodus
1Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.2And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.3And Moses said, "I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned."4When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am."5Then he said, "Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing 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." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.9And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.10Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt."11But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?"12He said, "But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain."
Matthew
25At that time Jesus declared, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children;26yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.27All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses 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.