Daily Readings - Thu Jul 15 2021
Exodus
13And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?14And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.15And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.16Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt:17And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.18And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.19And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand.20And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two profound moments of divine revelation and invitation. In the first reading from Exodus, Moses stands before the burning bush, and God reveals His name as “I AM WHO AM.” This mysterious and powerful name underscores God’s eternal and unchanging nature. God commissions Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, promising to guide and strengthen him for the task. This passage reminds us of God’s active presence in history and His desire to free His people from oppression.
In the Gospel, Jesus extends a gentle invitation to all who are weary and burdened: “Come to me, and I will refresh you.” He offers His yoke, promising that it is easy to bear and light. This is not a call to escape life’s challenges but to find rest in Him amidst them. Jesus’ words echo the Exodus story, where God delivers His people from slavery. Just as Moses trusted God’s promise, we are invited to trust in Jesus’ promise of spiritual rest and renewal.
These readings remind us that faith is rooted in trust and surrender. Like Moses, we may face daunting challenges, but God’s presence and power are with us. Like the weary laborers in the Gospel, we may feel overwhelmed, but Jesus offers us His yoke, teaching us to rely on His grace. In our daily lives, let us turn to God with trust, surrendering our burdens to Him. May we find rest in His presence and remember that His plan is always one of love and liberation.