First reading Exodus 3:1-6,9-12
The burning bush
Moses was looking after the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, priest of Midian. He led his flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in the shape of a flame of fire, coming from the middle of a bush. Moses looked; there was the bush blazing but it was not being burnt up. ‘I must go and look at this strange sight,’ Moses said, ‘and see why the bush is not burnt.’
Now the Lord saw him go forward to look, and God called to him from the middle of the bush. ‘Moses, Moses!’ he said. ‘Here I am,’ Moses answered. ‘Come no nearer,’ he said. ‘Take off your shoes, for the place on which you stand is holy ground. I am the God of your fathers,’ he said, ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.’ At this Moses covered his face, afraid to look at God.
And the Lord said, ‘The cry of the sons of Israel has come to me, and I have witnessed the way in which the Egyptians oppress them, so come, I send you to Pharaoh to bring the sons of Israel, my people, out of Egypt.’
Moses said to God, ‘Who am I to go to Pharaoh and bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?’ ‘I shall be with you,’ was the answer ‘and this is the sign by which you shall know that it is I who have sent you… After you have led the people out of Egypt, you are to offer worship to God on this mountain.’
Responsorial Psalm 102(103):1-4,6-7
The Lord is compassion and love.
My soul, give thanks to the Lord
all my being, bless his holy name.
My soul, give thanks to the Lord
and never forget all his blessings.
It is he who forgives all your guilt,
who heals every one of your ills,
who redeems your life from the grave,
who crowns you with love and compassion.
The Lord does deeds of justice,
gives judgement for all who are oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses
and his deeds to Israel’s sons.
Gospel Matthew 11:25-27
You have hidden these things from the wise and revealed them to little children
Jesus exclaimed, ‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.’
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Pride and humility
Pride is a huge obstacle that prevents us from knowing and loving God more. Today, Jesus invites us to strive for humility that moves us to depend on God and acknowledge how little we know in coming to know God as who He truly is.
In today’s gospel, Jesus distinguished between “the learned and the clever” and “the little children”. The “learned and the clever” were the ones who considered themselves to know everything about God and His will. They were so proud of their own intelligence that they closed themselves to new things that Jesus came to bring. On the other hand, “the little children” were the “poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3) who were always open to learning and humble enough to recognise their need for God, and thus, they were the ones who entered into a personal relationship with Him. Today, Jesus wants us to share His loving relationship with God the Father with us. Let us be willing to listen, learn, wonder and receive.
Reflective question:
Can I humble myself to know God and be drawn into a deeper relationship with Him?
Can I humble myself to know God and be drawn into a deeper relationship with Him?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year A” by Sr Sandra Seow FMVD.
