Scripture Exodus 3:1-14 Knowing God

This week we celebrate Vocations Awareness Week. Vocation Awareness Week is an annual week-long celebration of the Catholic Church in Scotland dedicat...
Author: Felix Randall
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This week we celebrate Vocations Awareness Week. Vocation Awareness Week is an annual week-long celebration of the Catholic Church in Scotland dedicated to promote vocations to the priesthood, diaconate and consecrated life through prayer and education, and to renew our prayers and support for those who are considering one of these particular vocations. This week, in schools throughout Scotland, we are considering the different aspects of vocation. Looking at the example of Moses, First years will consider how knowing God in our lives forms an important part of any vocation.

Scripture Exodus 3:1-14  –  Knowing  God   One  day  Moses  was  taking  care  of  Jethro’s  sheep.  Jethro  was  Moses’  father-­‐in-­‐law.   Moses  led  the  sheep  to  the  west  side  of  the  desert.  He  came  to  Sinai,  the  mountain   of  God.    There  the  angel  of  the  Lord  appeared  to  Moses  in  flames  of  fire  coming  out   of  a  bush.  Moses  saw  that  the  bush  was  on  fire,  but  it  was  not  burning  up.  So  Moses   said,  “I  will  go  closer  to  this  strange  thing.  How  can  a  bush  continue  burning  without   burning  up?”    The  Lord  saw  Moses  was  coming  to  look  at  the  bush.  So  God  called  to   him  from  the  bush,  “Moses,  Moses!”    And  Moses  said,  “Here  I  am.”   Then  God  said,  “Do  not  come  any  closer.  Take  off  your  sandals.  You  are  standing  on   holy  ground.    I  am  the  God  of  your  ancestors.  I  am  the  God  of  Abraham,  the  God  of   Isaac  and  the  God  of  Jacob.”  Moses  covered  his  face  because  he  was  afraid  to  look  at   God.   The  Lord  said,  “I  have  seen  the  troubles  my  people  have  suffered  in  Egypt.  And  I  have   heard  their  cries  when  the  Egyptian  slave  masters  hurt  them.  I  am  concerned  about   their  pain.    I  have  come  down  to  save  them  from  the  Egyptians  I  have  heard  the  cries   of  the  people  of  Israel.   So  now  I  am  sending  you  to  the  king  of  Egypt.  Go!  Bring  my  people,  the  Israelites,  out   of  Egypt!”  But  Moses  said  to  God,  “I  am  not  a  great  man!  Why  should  I  be  the  one  to   go  to  the  king  and  lead  the  Israelites  out  of  Egypt?”   God  said,  “I  will  be  with  you.  This  will  be  the  proof  that  I  am  sending  you:  You  will   lead  the  people  out  of  Egypt.  Then  all  of  you  will  worship  me  on  this  mountain.”   Moses  said  to  God,  “When  I  go  to  the  Israelites,  I  will  say  to  them,  ‘The  God  of  your   ancestors  sent  me  to  you.’  What  if  the  people  say,  ‘What  is  his  name?’  What  should  I   tell  them?”   Then  God  said  to  Moses,  “I  AM  WHO  I  AM.    When  you  go  to  the  people  of  Israel,  tell   them,  ‘I  AM  sent  me  to  you.’”  

The  Background   The  story  we’ve  just  read  is  taken  from  the  Book  of  Exodus.  When  it  opens,  the   people  of  Israel  are  having  a  really,  difficult  time.  They  are  slaves  in  Egypt.  They  are   unpaid,  they  have  no  rights  and  they  have  little  or  no  time  off.  They  need  help  from   God  and  they  need  it  fast!  

Who  is  Moses?   Moses  is  one  of  the  most  important  figures  in  the   Old  Testament.  He  had  a  rather  interesting  life.    As  a   baby,  he  narrowly  escaped  death.  The  Pharaoh,  the   ruler  of  Egypt,  had  decreed  that  all  the  first  born   babies  of  the  people  of  Israel  should  be  drowned  in   the  river  Nile.  On  hearing  this,  Moses'  mother  hides   the  baby  Moses  for  3  months  and  then  places  him   baby  in  a  wicker  basket  (the  very  first  Moses’   basket!)  in  the  reeds  by  the  River  Nile.      The  baby's   crying  alerts  one  of  the  pharaoh's  daughters  who  takes  the  baby.   As  Moses,  grows  up  his  life  becomes  more  complicated!  As  a  young  man  he  kills  an   Egyptian  slave  master  who  he  sees  beating  an  Israelite  slave.  He  then  goes  on  the   run  to  the  land  of  Midian  (modern  day  Saudi  Arabia).  Whilst  there,  he  marries  the   daughter  of  a  local  priest,  Jethro.  It  is  while  working  for  Jethro  as  a  Shepherd  that   Moses  encounters  God  in  the  burning  bush.   After  encountering  God  in  the  burning  bush,  Moses  goes  on  to  liberate  the  people   of  Israel  from  Egypt,  receives  the  Ten  Commandments  from  God  and  almost  (but   not  quite!)  leads  the  Israelite  people  back  to  the  Promised  Land  of  Israel.  What  a   life!  

The  Burning  Bush?   People  often  wonder  why  God  appeared  to  Moses  in  a   burning  bush.  Why  did  God  not  use  something  more   spectacular?  Why  did  God  not  use  special  effects  or   pyrotechnics?  The  answer  is  probably  quite  simple.  God   comes  to  us  through  the  ordinary  things  of  everyday  life   and  there  probably  wasn’t  anything  more  ordinary  in  the   desert  than  a  bush!     Think  for  a  moment………when  we  go  to  Mass,  God  comes   to  us  through  the  most  basic  foodstuffs  -­‐    bread  and  wine.  

At   Baptism,   He   comes   to   us   through   the   medium   of   water -   the   most   basic   element   of   life! When   God   comes   into   our   lives   it’s   rarely   through   anything   spectacular  but  through  things  that  are  basic,  simple  and  ordinary!  

Take  off  your  sandals?   God  asks  Moses  to  take  off  his  sandals.  Why?  The  answer  is  simple  –  to  show   respect.  When  we  encounter  God,  when  we  find  ourselves  in  a  Holy  Place  like  a   Church  or  a  school  Oratory  we  behave  in  a  different  way.  We  quieten  down,  we  try   not  to  talk  and  we  usually  bless  ourselves  and  genuflect.   When  he  takes  off  his  sandals,  Moses  is  doing  the  same   thing!  

What’s  in  a  name?   Moses  asks  God  what  His  name  is.  God  tells  Moses  his   name  and  that  is  the  very  first  step  in  their  friendship.   When  we  met  someone  for  the  first  time,  we  ask  them   what  their  name  is  and  from  that  moment,  friendships  are   often  born!  God  tells  us  about  Himself  because  he  loves  us.   God  cares  about  our  lives.  He  wants  to  be  our  friend.    

The  Big  Word   Do  you  want  to  impress  your  friends  and  family  by  dropping  a  big  word  into   conversation?  Try  this  word  –  “theophany”.  Theophany  means  “God’s  appearance”.   The  story  of  the  Burning  Bush  when  God  appears  to  Moses  is  an  example  of  a   theophany.      This  Theophany  marked  the  beginning  of  the  friendship  between   Moses  and  God  

Reflection   1. Do  you  remember  when  and  how  you  met  your  best  friend  ? 2. What  sustains  your  relationship  with  your  best  friend  ? 3. Since  you  started  High  School,  have  you  tried  to  make  new  friends  ? 4. In  primary  school  we  have  learned  a  lot  about  God  and  taken  steps  to          develop  our  relationship  with  Him.    What  did  you  learn  about  God            when  you:            (a)  made  your  First  Confession            (b)  received  your  First  Holy  Communion    (c)  received  the  Sacrament  of  Confirmation  

Vocation  Example   People  often  ask  me  why  I  became  a  Priest.  The  answer  isn’t  very  exciting  or  very   complicated  but  I  suppose  that’s  the  way  things  often  are  with  God  –  He  comes  into   our  lives  quietly  without  any  fuss  or  show.  As  a  young  teenager,  I  believed  in  God.  I   believed  He  was  out  somewhere  making  the  Sun  shine  and  the  Moon  go  round  the   earth  but  that  was  about  it.  I  believed  He  was  just  some  old  man  with  a  beard  in  a   galaxy  far,  far  away.  I  didn’t  really  believe  He  was  interested  in  my  life.  I  didn’t  really   believe  that  He  cared  what  happened  to  me  or  my  family.     Things  changed  when  I  met  a  friend  who  was  really  committed  to  His  faith.  He  kept   saying  that  God  really  did  care  and  that  God  really  wanted  to  be  part  of  my  life.     From  that  time  things  began  to  change.  I  began  to  see  God  not  as  some  distant  idea   but  as  my  father,  my  brother  and  my  friend.   I  began  to  pray  a  lot  and  tell  Him  about  everything  I  was  going.  Things  gradually   changed.  I  stopped  believing  in  God  and  began  to  have  faith  in  Him.    People  laugh   when  I  say  that  but  it’s  true.  We  believe  that  the  moon  goes  round  the  earth,  that  3   is  bigger  than  2  but  it  doesn’t  really  matter  to  how  we  feel  or  impact  on  how  we   understand  ourselves.  Faith,  on  the  other  hand,  is  knowing  that  no  matter  how   crazy  things  become  God  cares  for  us  and  that  He  is  our  friend  –  that  really  does   change,  it  really  matters.     Once  I  moved  from  belief  to  faith,  the  Priesthood  seemed  the  natural  place  to  be.  I   wake  up  every  day  knowing  that  God  loves  me  and  that  I  am  doing  my  best  for  Him.   A  Priest  of  the  Diocese  of  Paisley  

Activity       1.  Working  with  a  partner  discuss  the  following:              (a)  In  what  ways  have  you  come  to  know  God  ?            (b)  What  similarities  are  there  between  the  Vocation  Story  and  the  Moses  story  ?              (c)  How  does  the  Vocation  Story  above  help  us  to  know  God  ?         2.    Working  by  yourself:                (a)  In  the  Moses  story  and  the  Vocation  story,  what  could  have  been  the                          obstacles  that  stopped  them  responding  to  God’s  call  in  their  life?                (b)  What  do  you  think  God  is  calling  you  to  do  with  your  life?  Are  you  ready  to                            allow  him  to  do  something  special  with  your  life  ?                (c)  Can  you  think  of  anyone  you  know  whose  life  has  been  changed  by  coming  to                        know  God  ?         3.  Working  in  groups/pairs:                  Produce  a  collage/wall  display  on  the  theme  ‘Knowing  God’                                    

         

  End  of  Lesson  Prayer         Lord     God,  you  came  into  the  life  of  Moses  and  showed  him  that  You  were  his  friend.       As  I  start  First  Year,  come  into  my  life  and  remind  you  that  my  friend,       that  you  care  for  me  and  that  you  want  the  best  for  me.    

Amen   b