THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT, YR C
Exd 3:1-8a,13-15; Ps 103
1Cor 10:1-6,10-12; Lk 13:1-9
LENT; PREPARING FOR OUR AN ENCOUNTER WITH GOD
Our first reading today is the Moses’ encounter with God in the burning bush.
The first part of the reading should be striking to many of us. It says that, Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law in the desert. It would be fair to ask the question, how did he end up there and doing that? This is a fair question because Moses was a prince of Egypt who grew up in the palace but now in the desert away from the palace. In the previous chapter (Exodus 2:11-15), we read that he sought to save an Israelite who being beaten by an Egyptian. To save the Israelite he then came to the rescue of the Jew and beat the Egyptian to death.
This act became known to the Egyptians and he had to flee for his life. In this light we see that Moses has not lost the sense of his roots. Somehow even though he grew up in the palace of Pharaoh he always knew he was a Jew. What does this all mean?
Moses had it in him to save the Jews and he wanted to do so by himself, but these are God’s people. And if he would be saved it must be done according to God’s plans. His desert experience was God’s way of preparing and forming him for the task he ahead. He must be purged of the self and the feeling of being in control and doing things his way to do things God’s way. He must learn to be humble and embrace the simple role of a shepherd. It is only then will he be capable to receive the vocation to save God’s people. His vocation begins with meeting God the truly saviour of his people.
The season of lent is a moment of preparation to encounter God. It is a season where we learn to do things God’s way. A season to neglect ourselves and submit to God. And so, we must ask ourselves what we must be purged off. What must we leave behind? What part of our lives need to be formed so that we could have a better experience with the Lord and embrace our vocations better.
In the desert, Moses saw a bush on fire but is not consumed. That fire made the bush more vivid, more beautiful and more brilliant. When God comes close, things become more beautiful. When God comes close to us, when we allow him into our lives, we become more beautiful, brilliant and great. He makes us better.
This encounter with God in the burning bush was the coming together of a man who has emptied himself of all tendencies of self-centredness and control, in order to be filled with the grace and power of God to lead his people. We must take advantage of this season to let ourselves and its desires go so that we can have a fruitful Christian life and destiny.
When Moses went close to examine what was happening, God calls out his name and asked him to take off his sandals. What does this mean?
This is another example of giving up control to God. When you have a sandal on, you can walk anywhere. You have control of your movements. To ask him to remove his sandals is to ask him to be dependent upon him. It is a sign of vulnerability. We must allow ourselves to be guided. We must give up our control over to God. That is what we do this season. We give God full control of our lives. We make ourselves vulnerable to God. And the truth is that in the assuring arms of God is the safest place to be vulnerable. It is the best place to be because God will not use our vulnerability against us, but will rather empower and strengthen us just as he did with Moses.
For this reason, God calls out Moses’ name from the bush. To call him out is recognise all his efforts at renewal and transformation. Calling his name twice can be seen as calling his attention to the sacredness of the place but more importantly it indicates that God calls his mane out of his confusion of his identity; a prince become a simple shepherd and a Jew rejected by his own people. God calls his name not to remind him of his past, but to identify with him and give him a purpose. When we open ourselves to a spiritual transformation God restores us and guides us to discover our purpose. May we hear the voice of God calling our name as we abandon ourselves to him.
God bless you
BY Rev Fr Delight Carbonu
