Daily Readings - Wed Jul 17 2019
Exodus
1Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.2And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.3And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.4And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.5And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.6Moreover he said, I am the God of thy 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 upon God.9Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.10Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.11And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?12And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.
Matthew
25At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.26Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.27All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two profound moments of divine revelation and human response. In the first reading from Exodus, Moses is tending his father-in-law’s sheep when he comes upon a burning bush that is not consumed by fire. This miraculous sight captures his attention, and from the bush, God speaks to him, identifying Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God then commissions Moses to lead the Israelites out of their oppression in Egypt. Moses, feeling inadequate, asks, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?” But God assures him, “I will be with you.” This exchange highlights both the awe-inspiring nature of God’s presence and the human tendency to question our own abilities when called to great tasks.
In the Gospel, Jesus offers a prayer of thanksgiving to the Father, praising Him for revealing divine truths not to the wise and powerful but to the humble and simple-hearted. He emphasizes the intimate relationship between the Father and the Son, stating that no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him. This passage underscores the importance of humility and trust in coming to know God. Just as Moses had to trust in God’s promise to be with him, we too must approach God with a willingness to listen and surrender to His will.
These readings remind us that God often reveals Himself in unexpected ways and calls us to tasks that may seem beyond our capabilities. Like Moses, we may feel unworthy or unprepared, but God’s assurance is clear: He will be with us. Like the “little ones” Jesus speaks of, we are called to approach God with humility and openness, trusting that He will reveal Himself to us. In our daily lives, this means embracing our missions, whether great or small, with faith and courage, knowing that God’s grace is sufficient for us. Let us, therefore, surrender our fears and doubts to Him, and allow Him to work through us as He worked through Moses.