Revelation of the Father

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today suggest an opportunity to understand better the way that the Father is revealed to people. The Book of Exodus recounts the experience of Moses as he encounters God in the words coming from a burning bush. The Burning Bush caught Moses attention. The dialogue and purification ritual prior to the encounter provides some expectation of a Divine encounter. The distress of God and Moses over the situation of the Israelite people is the common theme discerned by Moses. The Will of God is determined to be that Moses will take the command of God to free the Israelites to the Pharaoh. The psalmist praises the Lord for “making all His ways known to Moses”. Some of these ways are forgiving iniquity, healing diseases and redeeming life. The Lord is steadfast love and mercy. The Lord works vindication and justice for all who are oppressed. (Psalm 103:6) The Gospel of Matthew presents Jesus thanksgiving to the Father for the manner in which Divine revelation occurs. The Presence is more clearly understood by those open to learning, change and new experience. Those who have chosen to use analysis and human experience to frame the ‘possible’ will find the Truth is quite hidden. The Father and the Son are One and the complete knowledge of the Father is for the Son and as Jesus proclaims “anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him”. The will of God is the primary mover in this revelation relationship. The openness to hear and respond to the invitation to live intimately in communion with the Divine is our required disposition as the Father is revealed to us.