Daily Readings - Thu Jul 15 2021
Exodus
13Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?"14God said to Moses, "I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'"15God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers-the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob-has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.16"Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers-the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob-appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt.17And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites-a land flowing with milk and honey.'18"The elders of Israel will listen to you. Then you and the elders are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God.'19But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him.20So I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I will perform among them. 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.