15th Week in Ord. Time, Wednesday – 19th July 2023 – Exodus 3,1-6.9-12; Mt 11,25-27
Transforming Revelation
In the first reading, Moses is the recipient of God’s self-revelation. With that revelation comes an obligation. God not only creates and provides for humanity, but also reveals the essence of who God is and responds to those who seek his help. Thus, God offers a personal message to Moses on behalf of his chosen suffering people. However, on approaching the burning bush, God first gives Moses two commands: to keep his distance, and to remove his sandals. Both commands relate to the holiness of the location where Moses stood. This holy ground became the location of the calling of Israel’s greatest leader, as well as the place where he would return with the people of Israel later on. This holy “place” referred specifically to Mount Horeb, the entire mountain where God would reveal. Joshua received a similar calling, where he was also commanded to remove his sandals due to holy ground (Josh 5,15). God calls the place “holy” because God is being revealed there. The source of this holiness is God – not the object, the location, or the substance itself. Gripped by this “holiness”, Moses slowly and yet firmly shifts his focus as leader from shepherding sheep to shepherding God’s people.
