Daily Readings - Thu Apr 03 2025
Exodus
7Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt.8They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, 'These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.'9"I have seen these people," the LORD said to Moses, "and they are a stiff-necked people.10Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation."11But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God. "O LORD," he said, "why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?12Why should the Egyptians say, 'It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth'? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people.13Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: 'I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.'"14Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.
John
18For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.31"If I testify about myself, my testimony is not valid.32There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is valid.33"You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth.34Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved.35John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.36"I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me.37And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form,38nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent.39You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me,40yet you refuse to come to me to have life.41"I do not accept praise from men,42but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts.43I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him.44How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?45"But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set.46If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me.47But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?"
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful narratives that invite us to reflect on the nature of faith, trust, and God’s enduring love. The first reading from Exodus recounts the story of the golden calf, where the Israelites, impatient and fearful during Moses’ absence, turn to idolatry. Moses intercedes on their behalf, pleading with God to spare them, reminding Him of His covenant with their ancestors. This story reveals the tension between human weakness and God’s mercy. The people’s actions demonstrate how quickly we can lose faith and seek comfort in false idols when God seems distant or unseen.
The Gospel reading from John presents a similar theme but in a different context. Jesus speaks about the testimony of His works and the Father’s witness to His identity. He laments that even though the people studied the Scriptures, they failed to recognize Him as the fulfillment of those same Scriptures. Jesus’ words highlight the spiritual blindness that can occur when we rely on our own understanding rather than trusting in God’s revelation. Just as the Israelites turned to a golden calf, the people in Jesus’ time were often more comfortable with their own interpretations and traditions than with the living Word of God standing before them.
These readings remind us that faith is not about seeing or understanding everything; it is about trusting in God’s promises even when the path ahead is unclear. Like Moses, we are called to intercede for others and to hold fast to God’s covenant, even when those around us falter. Like the Israelites, we must guard against the temptation to substitute the true God with false idols—whether they be material possessions, ideologies, or our own ego. And like the people in the Gospel, we must humbly acknowledge our spiritual blindness and seek to encounter Christ anew in Scripture and in prayer. May we, through these readings, deepen our trust in God’s love and remain steadfast in our commitment to Him, even when the journey is difficult.