Wednesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time
Wednesday July 14, 2027
God Speaks and Reveals Truth
God shows His care and power in the readings for Wednesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Cycle 1. He calls Moses through the burning bush, showing that He is near to His people and keeps His promises. God chooses ordinary people to do His work, reminding us that He is always guiding His plan for salvation.
The psalm praises God for His kindness and mercy. He forgives, heals, and saves. His love is strong and lasting. This song of praise calls us to remember His goodness and to trust Him in every part of life.
In the Gospel, Jesus thanks the Father for revealing truth to the humble and childlike. Those who have simple faith can see God’s love more clearly. Wednesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Cycle 1 reminds us to listen to God with trust and to follow where He leads.
Daily Mass Readings for Wednesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Cycle 1
- First Reading – Exodus 3:1-6, 9-12: While tending sheep, Moses sees a burning bush that does not burn. God speaks to him, revealing Himself as the God of his ancestors, and appoints Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.
- Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 103: Praise the Lord for His kindness and mercy. He forgives sins, heals diseases, and saves lives. He brings justice and reveals His ways to His people.
- Gospel – Matthew 11:25-27: Jesus praises the Father for revealing truth to the humble and childlike, emphasizing that only the Father knows the Son and only the Son knows the Father and reveals Him to others.
Cycle 1 is used in odd numbered years and Cycle 2 is used in even numbered years. The gospel is the same for both years. For even numbered years see Wednesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Cycle 2.
Although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned, you have revealed them to the childlike.
Matthew 11:25
Themes for the Readings for Wednesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Cycle 1
On Wednesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Cycle 1, the readings highlight God’s revelation and guidance. These passages encourage trust, humility, and understanding of God’s nature.
- God’s Revelation to Moses: Moses encounters God through the burning bush. This shows that God chooses unexpected ways to reveal Himself and guide His people.
- God’s Faithfulness: God identifies Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This underscores His faithfulness to the promises made to the patriarchs.
- Moses’ Mission: God calls Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. This shows God’s plan to save His people and the role of human cooperation in His plans.
- Humility and Understanding: In the Gospel, Jesus praises the Father for revealing truths to the humble and childlike. This teaches that humility opens us to God’s wisdom.
- Knowledge of God: Jesus says only the Father knows the Son and only the Son knows the Father. This emphasizes the unique relationship between Jesus and God and how Jesus reveals God to us.
- God’s Guidance: Both readings show God’s active role in guiding His people. God leads Moses and reveals truth through Jesus, showing His constant care.
These themes for Wednesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Cycle 1 help us see how God communicates and cares for His people. Reflecting on these can strengthen our faith and understanding of God’s ways.
Reflection for Wednesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Cycle 1
The readings for Wednesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Cycle 1 reveal God’s ways of communicating and guiding His people. These passages highlight the importance of humility, obedience, and trust in God’s plans. Reflecting on these readings can help us understand how God works in our lives.
God’s Revelation to Moses
In the first reading, Moses encounters the burning bush while tending sheep. This unusual sight captures his attention, leading him to a deeper experience of God. God uses this moment to reveal Himself and His plans for Moses and the Israelites.
God identifies Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This shows His faithfulness and connection to the promises made to the patriarchs. Moses learns that God’s promises extend to him and his mission to free the Israelites from slavery.
This passage reminds us that God can reveal Himself in unexpected ways. We need to be attentive and open to His presence in our lives. Like Moses, we can be called to important tasks that require faith and trust in God.
Humility and Understanding
In the Gospel reading, Jesus praises the Father for revealing truths to the humble and childlike. He contrasts this with those who consider themselves wise and learned. Humility is the key to understanding God’s ways.
Jesus emphasizes that only the Father knows the Son, and only the Son knows the Father. This relationship is unique and special. Through Jesus, we gain a deeper understanding of God and His love for us.
We learn that humility opens our hearts to God’s wisdom. Being childlike means trusting in God and being open to His teachings. By following Jesus, we come to know God more fully.
God’s Guidance
Both readings show God’s active role in guiding His people. God calls Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, a challenging but crucial mission. Moses’ obedience to this call reflects his trust in God’s guidance.
In the Gospel, Jesus shows that He reveals the Father to those who are open to receiving Him. This revelation is a form of guidance, leading us closer to God. Jesus’ teachings help us understand and follow God’s path for us.
God’s guidance is always present in our lives. We need to be open to His direction and willing to follow His lead. Trusting in God’s plans brings us closer to Him and helps us fulfill our mission.
The readings for Wednesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Cycle 1 teach us about God’s ways of revealing Himself and guiding us. Through humility, trust, and openness, we can understand and follow God’s plans. Reflecting on these themes can deepen our faith and relationship with God.
Prayer
Lord, help us to be humble and open to Your guidance. Reveal Yourself to us in unexpected ways and give us the courage to follow Your plans. Strengthen our trust in You and lead us closer to Your love. Amen.
Reflection Questions
- How can you be more attentive to the ways God reveals Himself in your daily life?
- Are there tasks or challenges in your life where you feel unworthy? How can you trust God to guide and strengthen you?
- What does it mean to have a childlike trust in God, and how can you practice this in your faith journey?
- How can you open your heart to better understand and follow God’s guidance in your life?
Homilies and Commentaries for Wednesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Cycle 1
Never Let Go of Christ
Sr. Mary Jeremiah Gillett reflects on Jesus’ words in Matthew 11:25-27. She explains that faith is a gift received at baptism, and we must help it grow or risk losing it. The Gospel shows that true knowledge of God comes only through Jesus, who is one with the Father. This unity reveals the heart of the Trinity and the core of our Christian faith.
Sr. Mary Jeremiah says we can know God more deeply by praying, obeying His will, and desiring to love Him. Prayer expresses our desire, and spending time with God helps us think as He does. Only those who are humble and open can receive this gift of knowing the Father through the Son. Wednesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Cycle 1 reminds us to seek God with childlike trust and to keep our eyes on Christ.
Get to Know the Father
Jesus reveals the Father to those who are open to Him. The Gospel shows that the Father’s will is good and loving, even when we struggle to see it. Wednesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Cycle 1 invites us to trust that God’s will, though sometimes hard to accept, is always for our good.
Matthew Kelly reflects on how the Father is sometimes forgotten as we focus on Jesus and the Holy Spirit. He encourages us to ask Jesus to show us the Father more deeply, to understand His love and His gracious will. Seeing God as a loving Father changes how we follow His plan. Kelly urges us to seek that love and to live as the best version of ourselves, the one God created us to be.
God Walks With Us
The first reading tells of Moses meeting God in the burning bush. God calls Moses by name and sends him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. He promises to be with Moses at every step. This shows that God is personal and loving. He hears the cries of His people and shares in their struggles and hardships. Wednesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Cycle 1 reminds us that God is always near, guiding us on our journey of faith.
Dr. Jem Sullivan explains that God calls each of us by name, just as He called Moses. We meet Him in daily life, through prayer, Scripture, the sacraments, and the love we show one another. God is present in creation and in the faces of the poor. Dr. Sullivan encourages us to let God walk with us and to recognize His love in the simple moments of our lives.
The Divine Relationship
On Wednesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Cycle 1, Bishop Robert Barron explains that Jesus’ identity is extraordinary and distinctive. Like Abraham, Moses, and other prophets, He is sent by God, but there’s a remarkable difference.
Jesus is both the sent one and God Himself. His words and actions reveal His divine authority: forgiving sins, presenting new teachings, and speaking of eternal truths. He is not a mere creature but the perfect reflection of the Father, the Word or Logos through which the Father comprehends Himself. The eternal relationship between the Father and the Son is marked by mutual love, the Holy Spirit.
Resources
Book of Exodus: God Calls Moses
In Exodus, God reveals Himself as a personal and active presence in history. The burning bush shows His holiness and power, but also His closeness to His people. This moment begins Moses’ mission as God’s chosen leader. It fits the theme of God’s covenant love and His promise to deliver Israel from slavery.
This reading also shows God’s faithfulness to His ancestors’ promises. Moses is sent as part of God’s plan to rescue and guide His people. The call highlights God’s desire for relationship and His plan to save through chosen servants. Wednesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Cycle 1 reminds us of God’s ongoing work in salvation history.
Psalm 103: The Lord’s Kindness and Mercy
Psalm 103 praises God’s love and care for His people. It reflects the psalmist’s gratitude for forgiveness and healing, showing God as a Father who is slow to anger and rich in mercy. This fits the psalms’ theme of trust and worship, calling the faithful to remember God’s goodness.
The psalm also connects to God’s covenant, as His justice and mercy show His faithfulness to His people. It reminds them to live with gratitude and hope because God saves and restores. Wednesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Cycle 1 invites us to join this song of praise.
The Gospel of Matthew: Revealed to the Humble
In Matthew, Jesus praises the Father for revealing truth to the simple and childlike. This shows a key theme in Matthew’s Gospel: God’s kingdom is for those who trust Him with humble hearts. It highlights the contrast between human pride and the openness needed to receive God’s grace.
The passage also shows the unique relationship between the Father and the Son. Jesus is the one who reveals God to others, showing that salvation comes through Him alone. Wednesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Cycle 1 reminds us to seek God with faith and humility.
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Questions and Answers for Wednesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Cycle 1
Why did God appear to Moses in a burning bush in the first reading for Wednesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Cycle 1?
God appeared to Moses in a burning bush to get his attention. The burning bush did not burn up, showing that this was a special sign from God.
What does it mean that God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?
This means God is faithful to the promises He made to the ancestors of the Israelites. It shows that God’s care and plans for His people continue through generations.
Why did Moses take off his sandals when he approached the burning bush?
God told Moses to take off his sandals because he was on holy ground. This shows respect for God’s presence and the special nature of the place.
How does God guide us today like He guided Moses?
God guides us through prayer, the Bible, and the teachings of the Church. We need to be open and listen to His guidance in our lives.
Why is Moses’ mission to lead the Israelites out of Egypt important?
Moses’ mission is important because it shows God’s plan to save His people from slavery. It also shows how God can work through us to help others.
How can we be humble and childlike, as Jesus says in the Gospel for Wednesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Cycle 1?
Being humble and childlike means trusting in God and being open to His teachings. It means not thinking we know everything and being ready to learn from God.
What does it mean that only the Father knows the Son and only the Son knows the Father?
This means that Jesus and God have a unique and close relationship. Through Jesus, we can come to know God better.
How can we apply the lessons from Wednesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Cycle 1 to our lives?
We can apply these lessons by being open to God’s signs, trusting His guidance, and staying humble. This helps us grow in our faith and follow God’s path for us.
Hearing God’s Call and Knowing Him
The readings for Wednesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Cycle 1 focus on God calling us and revealing Himself to those who trust Him. In the first reading from Exodus, Moses encounters God in the burning bush. God tells Moses that He has seen the suffering of His people in Egypt and has come to rescue them. God calls Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery. Moses feels unworthy and asks, “Who am I to do this?” God assures Moses that He will be with him. This story shows us that God often calls us to tasks we may feel unprepared for, but He provides the strength we need.
In the Gospel, Jesus praises God for revealing hidden things to the humble and simple, rather than the wise and learned. Jesus says that He alone knows the Father, and only through Him can others come to know God. This shows us the importance of humility and trust in our relationship with God. To truly know Him, we must rely on Jesus and have faith like a child.
These readings remind us that God calls us to serve, even when we feel unworthy, and that knowing Him requires humility and trust in Jesus. By answering His call and trusting in His care, we grow closer to Him.
Your Turn
Take time to reflect on Wednesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Cycle 1. Are you ready to answer God’s call, even when it feels challenging? How can you trust Jesus to help you grow in your knowledge of God?
Share your reflections in the comments. Let us encourage one another to trust in God’s care and follow Him with humility and faith.
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