Reading 1
Ex 3:1-6, 9-12
Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian.
Leading the flock across the desert, he came to Horeb,
the mountain of God.
There an angel of the LORD appeared to him in fire
flaming out of a bush.
As he looked on, he was surprised to see that the bush,
though on fire, was not consumed.
So Moses decided,
“I must go over to look at this remarkable sight,
and see why the bush is not burned.”
When the LORD saw him coming over to look at it more closely,
God called out to him from the bush, “Moses! Moses!”
He answered, “Here I am.”
God said, “Come no nearer!
Remove the sandals from your feet,
for the place where you stand is holy ground.
I am the God of your father,” he continued,
“the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.
The cry of the children of Israel has reached me,
and I have truly noted that the Egyptians are oppressing them.
Come, now! I will send you to Pharaoh to lead my people,
the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”
But Moses said to God,
“Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh
and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt?”
He answered, “I will be with you;
and this shall be your proof that it is I who have sent you:
when you bring my people out of Egypt,
you will worship God on this very mountain.”
103:1b-2, 3-4, 6-7
Responsorial PsalmR. (8a)
The Lord is kind and merciful.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
The LORD secures justice
and the rights of all the oppressed.
He has made known his ways to Moses,
and his deeds to the children of Israel.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Gospel
Mt 11:25-27
At that time Jesus exclaimed:
“I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to the childlike.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows the Son except the Father,
and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”
Meditation: Exodus 3:1-6,9-12
“Moses! Moses!” (Exodus 3:4)
A burning bush brought Moses face-to-face with the Lord—and with a divine mission for his life: “I will send you to Pharaoh to lead my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt” (Exodus 3:10). To Moses, it must have felt like he was being asked to do the impossible. Convincing Pharaoh to let his people go would be enough of a challenge. It only made matters worse that Moses was a wanted man. Going back to Egypt might mean being arrested and tried for murder. Surely God had the wrong man!
So Moses tried to maneuver his way out of the assignment. He questioned whether he was fit for the job. He questioned whether the people would listen to him. He questioned whether Pharaoh would take him seriously. “What if, what if, what if?” Finally, Moses stopped beating around the bush: Please send someone else!
But God didn’t give up. He answered every objection with the same words of assurance: “I will be with you.” Finally, Moses agreed and we all know the rest of the story.
You may not see a burning bush today, but God is still calling you. He has a plan for you that involves serving him in your home, your church, or your community. And if you’re like most of us, you are probably pretty good at finding reasons why you’re the wrong person for the job. But God knows who you are— even better than you do! He knows your strengths and weaknesses, your fears and limitations. And still he calls you to be his ambassador.
Every day, we face a choice. We can choose to put off God’s call and plan or we can embrace it. And if we are struggling with his call, we can take Moses as our model. We can voice all of our objections to the Lord, and let him answer them one by one. At least then we will have gotten them out of the way so that we can get to work building his kingdom. Remember: God never sends you into a situation alone. If he could protect Moses, he can certainly protect you!
“Lord, I will go wherever you lead—so long as you are with me. Open my heart to sense your calling and presence today.”
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