First Reading (Exodus 32,7-14)
Reading of the Book of Exodus.
In those days, the Lord spoke to Moses: “Go, go down, for your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They quickly turned away from the path I prescribed for them. They made themselves a calf of molten metal, bowed down in worship before it and offered sacrifices to it, saying: ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you out of Egypt!’ ” And the Lord said to Moses, “I see that these are a hard-headed people. Let my wrath burn against them, and let me exterminate them. But Moses pleaded with the Lord his God, saying: “Why, O Lord, does your anger flare up against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a strong hand? I pray you, do not allow the Egyptians to say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to cause them to perish in the mountains and to exterminate them from the face of the earth’. May your anger be appeased and forgive the iniquity of your people. Remember of your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you pledged yourself, saying: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven; and all this land of which I spoke to you I will give to your descendants as an inheritance forever'”. And the Lord gave up the evil he had threatened to do to his people.
– Word of the Lord.
– Thank God.
Gospel (John 5,31-47)
Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John.
— Glory to you, Lord.
At that time, Jesus said to the Jews: “If I testify about myself, my testimony is worthless. But there is another who testifies about me, and I know that the testimony he gives about me is true. You sent messengers to John, and he testified to the truth. But I do not depend on the testimony of a human being. But I speak in this way for your salvation. John was a lamp that was lit and shining, and you gladly rejoiced for a while with his light. But I have a greater testimony than that of John; the works which the Father hath given me to do bear witness of me, showing that the Father which sent me beareth witness in my behalf. s bear witness to me, but you do not want to come to me to have eternal life! I do not receive the glory that comes from men. But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. I came in the name of my Father, and you do not receive me. But if another came in his own name, him you would receive. How can you believe, you who receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father. There is someone who accuses you: Moses, in whom you place your hope. If you believed in Moses, you would also believe in me, for it was about me that he wrote. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”
— Word of Salvation.
— Glory to you, Lord.
Reflecting the Word of God
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
There is an old story about a man who was lost on a dark night. While walking, he fell into a deep hole from which he could not escape. One after another, several passersby passed by. Some offered advice, others extended very short branches, until finally someone went down into the hole to be with him. When the man protested, saying, “Now we’re both trapped here!” the rescuer replied, “No, I know the way out.”
This story connects us deeply to our readings today, which talk about the paths we get lost and, more importantly, about the God who always comes down to where we are to show us the way back.
In the first reading from Exodus, we find a dramatic scene on Mount Sinai. Moses is receiving the tablets of the Law, while below, the people of Israel quickly abandon the God who freed them from slavery. See how the Lord addresses Moses: “Go, go down, for your people, whom you brought out of Egypt, have become corrupt.” It’s as if God is saying, “Look at what your people are doing!”
But Moses, in an act of tremendous courage, turns the tables: “Why, O Lord, is your wrath kindled against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt?” He reminds God of the promises made to Abraham, Isaac and Israel, appealing to divine mercy.
This scene reveals something extraordinary to us: a God so great that he allows a human being to intercede and “change His mind.” The text explicitly says: “And the Lord turned away from the evil he had threatened to do to his people.” What a sublime mystery! It is not that God is fickle or inconsistent, but that He places such importance on the relationship with His people that it allows human intercession to participate in the unfolding of His divine plan.
How many times in our lives have we found ourselves like those people at the foot of the mountain? Impatient, anxious, seeking security in idols made by our own hands – be it money, power, fame, pleasures – anything we can control, instead of trusting in the invisible God who asks us to wait and trust.
And how often, like Moses, are we called to intercede for others, to be the voice that cries out for mercy when others are lost in the darkness of their own choices? Perhaps by a child who has strayed from the faith, a friend trapped in a cycle of addiction, or a community divided by hate and prejudice.
When we turn to the Gospel of John, we find Jesus facing his critics – those who question his authority and mission. In a profound and challenging speech, Jesus presents several witnesses who validate his claims: John the Baptist, his own miraculous works, the heavenly Father, and finally, the Scriptures.
It is this last witness that Jesus emphasizes in a special way: “You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and they are they that bear witness about me.” How ironic! His opponents were experts in Scripture, they dedicated their lives to studying every word, every letter of the Law, and yet, they did not recognize the One of whom all Scripture spoke.
Jesus then makes a revealing accusation: “You do not have the love of God in you.” Here is the crux of the matter: it is possible to know the Word of God and still not know the God of the Word. It is possible to have impeccable religiosity and still not have a relationship with the Father. It is possible to seek “the glory that comes from men” and not “the glory that comes from the only God.”
How do these two readings connect? In an extraordinary way! In both, we see the tension between religious formality and a true relationship with God. The people of Israel had just received the Law, but they were already looking for something more tangible, more controllable. The Pharisees knew the Scriptures, but they did not recognize the Word made flesh before them.
Perhaps the most profound lesson for us today is this: faith is not primarily about rules, rituals, or even theological knowledge – important as these are. Faith is fundamentally about relationship. It’s about knowing God as He truly is, not as we would like Him to be.
Moses knew God intimately; the biblical text says that he spoke to God “face to face, as one speaks to his friend.” This intimacy gave him the boldness to intercede, to remind God of His own promises. It was a real relationship, not a mere observance of rules.
Jesus, being God incarnate, had the deepest possible intimacy with the Father. “I seek not my will,” says He, “but the will of him who sent me.” This union of wills is the mark of a true relationship – not just doing what the other wants, but wanting what the other wants.
So what do these readings call us to do today?
First, to examine our own “golden calves” – those things we trust in when God seems distant or silent. What are the idols we build when waiting becomes difficult?
Second, to cultivate a spirit of intercession like Moses. Who is God calling you to defend in prayer? Who do you need to “stand in the gap” for?
Third, to go beyond a superficial observance of the Scriptures to a true encounter with the God who reveals himself in them. It is not enough to know texts; we need to know the Person to whom the texts point.
Fourth, to examine the source of our quest for approval and validation. Are we looking for “the glory that comes from men” or “the glory that comes from the only God”?
And finally, as people who follow Christ, we are called to be like that man who went down into the pit – not just offering inadequate advice or solutions, but being willing to descend into the depths of human suffering, because we know Him who is the way out, the truth that frees, and the life that never ends.
Remember: all of salvation history is about a God who descends – to Egypt to free His people, to Mount Sinai to give His Law, and finally, in Jesus Christ, to the very depths of the human condition. And it is this same God who continues to reach down into the dark holes of our lives, not to judge us, but to show us the way back home.
May we, like Moses, know this God face to face. And may we, as Jesus invites us, find in Scripture not just information, but transformation – the living testimony of Him who is the way, the truth and the life.
Amen.
