FRESH PERSPECTIVE ON THE SUNDAY READINGS
                            HIS WORD TODAY by Rev. Wm J. Reilly
MARCH 7, 2010

“Leading the flock across the desert, he (Moses) 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 was 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… 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…’”

    With Moses we meet God today on another mountain. As He revealed Himself on Tabor at the Transfiguration, today it is in the wonder of a burning bush. Moses represents us all as we strive of know more about the Lord who reveals Himself in countless ways. How do I discover the Lord today? Some find Him through the well known leaders in the church like the Holy Father, or even Archbishop Romero whose death we commemorate this week. Some discover Him in the signs of nature, a sunset, a picturesque snow or refreshing waterfall.

    Some find Him in family events of great significance, a christening, and wedding or even in the death of a loved one. For Moses, it was in the phenomenon of the burning bush. All of these summon us to draw closer to the God who wishes to be close to us.

    Like Moses we answer His calling our name. ‘Here I am.’ As Moses was told to remove his sandals because the ground was holy, we realize that the events above are sacred, holy moments in which God speaks to us and we respond. The Samaritan woman met Jesus at the well, while Moses encountered God at the burning bush. Where do I expect to find Him this week? “Here I am”.