Wednesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time
(Exodus 34,29-35; Matthew 13:44-46)
Today’s first reading indicates how standing in the presence
of God changes people. Moses comes back
from seeing God with his face shining. God’s
holiness has caused Moses to radiate as if he were given an atomic charge. He cannot look at others without forcing some
kind of breakdown. For this reason Moses
must wear a veil.
But when Moses goes back into the presence of God, he takes
off the veil. Standing before God, all his
life in unveiled. No one can keep a
secret from God’s judgment. At such
close range to the all-holy, Moses must stand in an especially exemplary way. If not, he will break down completely.
We will have a meeting with God that requires complete
disclosure on Judgment Day. For now we
should clean up our lives for encounters with holy people. The presence of saints compels embarrassment,
a kind of breakdown, as our unworthiness becomes evident. In confession before a priest, we again show
our unworthiness. But there, confessing our guilt and receiving the Lord’s
pardon, we are enabled to stand up again.
