Daily Readings - Wed Jul 19 2023
Exodus
1Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.2There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.3So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight-why the bush does not burn up."4When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am."5"Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground."6Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.9And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them.10So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt."11But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"12And God said, "I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain."
Matthew
25At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.26Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.27"All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those 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.