July 31, 2013

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Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Priest 

Lectionary: 403

Reading 1EX 34:29-35

As Moses came down from Mount Sinai

with the two tablets of the commandments in his hands,

he did not know that the skin of his face had become radiant

while he conversed with the LORD.

Moses, having spoken to God face to face, was shining.

When Aaron, then, and the other children of Israel saw Moses

and noticed how radiant the skin of his face had become,

they were afraid to come near him.

The Israelites saw Moses shining face and became fearful.

Only after Moses called to them did Aaron

and all the rulers of the community come back to him.

And the leaders of Israel would not approach him unless he called them by name.

Moses then spoke to them.

Later on, all the children of Israel came up to him,

and he enjoined on them all that the LORD

had told him on Mount Sinai.

Afterwards, the entire community gathered with him and he told them all which God had said.

When he finished speaking with them,

he put a veil over his face.

And when he finished, he covered his face so as not to scare the Hebrews any further.

Whenever Moses entered the presence of the LORD to converse with him,

he removed the veil until he came out again.

But when he spoke to God, Moses removed the veil.  This is what St. Paul makes reference to when he says:

2 Corinthians 3:12 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:  13 And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:  14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.

Meaning that the Israelites who do not believe in Christ still see God as through a veil.  Because it is by faith in Christ that one speaks to God face to face. 

On coming out, he would tell the children of Israel

all that had been commanded.

Then the children of Israel would see

that the skin of Moses’ face was radiant;

so he would again put the veil over his face

until he went in to converse with the LORD.

Then, after speaking to God on each occasion, Moses would report to the Israelites.  And they would see how his face glowed with God's light.  This also bespeaks how anyone who teaches the Word of God reflects the light of Christ upon the world.

Responsorial PsalmPS 99:5, 6, 7, 9

R. (see 9c) Holy is the Lord our God.
Extol the LORD, our God,
and worship at his footstool;
holy is he!
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
and Samuel, among those who called upon his name;
they called upon the LORD, and he answered them.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
From the pillar of cloud he spoke to them;
they heard his decrees and the law he gave them.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
Extol the LORD, our God,
and worship at his holy mountain;
for holy is the LORD, our God.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.

God is Holy and worthy of our praise.  Because He is holy we need to seek to be holy in order that we may be found worthy to spend eternal life with Him.

GospelMT 13:44-46

Jesus said to his disciples:
“The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field,
which a person finds and hides again,
and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant
searching for fine pearls.
When he finds a pearl of great price,
he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.”

God is precious.  And His Kingdom is a treasure.  We who find the Word of God, must seek to keep it in our mind, lips and heart and always to live according to His precepts.