Word to the Wise
Wednesday, July 16, 2025 - Wednesday in the 15th Week in Ordinary Time
[Exod 3:1-6, 9-12 and Matt 11:25-27]When the Lord saw [Moses] coming over to look at it [the burning bush] 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....." [Exodus]
In the grand story of the Old Testament, few moments can rival the encounter between Moses and God who self-reveals in the burning bush! Not only is it a matter of Moses being called to a difficult task, it is a moment in which God reveals God's name: I AM! Tomorrow we will be able to reflect on the name. Today, the beginning of the story, we have Moses' simple but profound question: "But who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt?" I am reminded of the story of St. Francis of Assisi who was reported as praying, "Who am I, my God, and who are you?" God's response to Moses is: "I will be with you."
Moses' reluctance is stubborn and he tries to convince God of his own lack of qualifications for a huge task. But God is not going to take "NO!" for an answer. Have any of us had such an encounter - whether dramatic like the burning bush or simply the small quiet voice that spoke to Elijah at the cave? [1 Kings 19:11-13]? In listening to the complaint of many students about difficult choices that they needed a "sign" from God as to what they should do with their life, I ask them often what kind of "sign" do they need? A burning bush? A voice in their earbud? Sometimes the "signs" are all around but drowned by human expectations. The burning bush appears to have been a one-time thing, but it challenges us to be "attentive" to the signs of God's presence and challenges. Those words, "I will be with you!" have to be remembered in the face of our fears. AMEN
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