Wednesday 16 July 2025 - The God of your father

Wednesday 16 July 2025

Today is Wednesday the 16th of July, in the 15th week of Ordinary Time. Ethel Oppon and Nicky Lathbridge, with Checko Ankrah sing ‘Most Holy’. Oh, most holy We exalt you We exalt you Hallelujah, hallelujah Yes, to the most high God Who is worthy of all power and all praise Hallelujah, hallelujah We give you the highest praise For You are worthy to be praised You are worthy, You are worthy We bless your name, we glorify You You are worthy of the glory, Lord Hallelujah, hallelujah What an awesome God, what a holy God you are Heaven and earth declare that you are a worthy God Hallelujah, hallelujah Today’s reading is from the Book of Exodus. Exodus 3:1-6, 9-12 Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, ‘I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.’ When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then he said, ‘Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’ He said further, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. ‘The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.’ But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’ He said, ‘I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.’ Take a moment today to imagine that you are with Moses as he tends his flock. What is the ground like beneath your feet? ... What does the wilderness look like?... What sounds can you hear? Imagine that you are walking beside Moses and his sheep, beyond the wilderness to Horeb, the mountain of God. What would you like to say to Moses as you walk? Suddenly, you notice a strange flame coming out of a bush, but the bush doesn’t seem to be burning up...feeling curious, you approach the bush with Moses. Listen now to the voice of God calling, ‘Moses, Moses.’ And Moses’s reply, ‘Here I am.’... Can you echo these words in your heart too? Now the Lord says to Moses, 'Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’  Imagine that you also remove your shoes as you stand on this holy ground with Moses. Feel your bare feet on the rough ground. Now the voice of God says, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ The reaction of Moses on hearing this is to cover his face for fear of looking at God. Take a moment to make your own response. As we approach the end of our prayer time, continue to spend the final moments of prayer in this holy place in the presence of God. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be World without end Amen