Introduction

The story of salvation history continues in the Mass readings during Lent, revealing both God’s profound mystery and his call to conversion.

While God’s ways surpass human understanding, he continually invites us to turn back to him, trust in his mercy, and bear fruit in our lives.

1st Reading – Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15

Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro,
the priest of Midian.
Leading the flock across the desert, he came to Horeb,
the mountain of God.
There an angel of the LORD appeared to Moses in fire
flaming out of a bush.
As he looked on, he was surprised to see that the bush,
though on fire, was not consumed.
So Moses decided,
“I must go over to look at this remarkable sight,
and see why the bush is not burned.”

When the LORD saw him coming over to look at it more closely,
God called out to him from the bush, “Moses! Moses!”
He answered, “Here I am.”
God said, “Come no nearer!
Remove the sandals from your feet,
for the place where you stand is holy ground.
I am the God of your fathers,” he continued,
“the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.”
Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
But the LORD said,
“I have witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt
and have heard their cry of complaint against their slave drivers,
so I know well what they are suffering.
Therefore I have come down to rescue them
from the hands of the Egyptians
and lead them out of that land into a good and spacious land,
a land flowing with milk and honey.”

Moses said to God, “But when I go to the Israelites
and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’
if they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what am I to tell them?”
God replied, “I am who am.”
Then he added, “This is what you shall tell the Israelites:
I AM sent me to you.”

God spoke further to Moses, “Thus shall you say to the Israelites:
The LORD, the God of your fathers,
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob,
has sent me to you.

“This is my name forever;
thus am I to be remembered through all generations.”

Today we hear one of the most famous passages in all of Scripture: Moses’ encounter with God at the burning bush.

Moses was born to Hebrew parents during a time when Pharaoh had ordered the death of all Hebrew baby boys. To save him, his mother placed him in a basket on the Nile, where he was found and adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter, growing up in the Egyptian royal court.

As an adult, Moses became aware of his Hebrew heritage. One day when he was about forty years old, Moses killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew and subsequently fled the country. He went to Midian, where he lived as a shepherd. He married Zipporah, the daughter of a Midianite priest, and settled into a quiet, obscure life as a shepherd — until God called him from the burning bush.

Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. Leading the flock across the desert, he came to Horeb, the mountain of God.

Horeb, also known as Mount Sinai, is traditionally believed to be in the southeastern Sinai Peninsula, though its exact location remains uncertain. This sacred mountain holds a central place in salvation history. Beyond Moses’ initial encounter with God in today’s reading, it is where he later received the Ten Commandments (Exodus 19) and where the prophet Elijah would return to encounter God (1 Kings 19:8-9).

There an angel of the LORD appeared to him 

“Angel of the Lord” often signifies God’s presence in the Old Testament.

in fire flaming out of a bush.

The bush would have been one of the many thorny shrubs that grow in desert uplands in that region.

Fire is often a feature of theophanies (e.g., Exodus 19:18, 24:17; Leviticus 9:23-24; Ezekiel 1:17), perhaps because it is the best symbol to represent God’s holiness and his mysterious nature. He is present, yet beyond human control.

Saint Paul tells us in Hebrews 12:29: Our God is a consuming fire.

As he looked on, he was surprised to see that the bush, though on fire, was not consumed. So Moses decided, “I must go over to look at this remarkable sight, and see why the bush is not burned.”

All the details provided in this passage help bring out the simplicity and at the same time the drama of God’s action. The scene is quite ordinary (grazing, a mountain, a bush), but extraordinary things happen (the angel of the Lord, a flame which does not burn).

When the LORD saw him coming over to look at it more closely, God called out to him from the bush, “Moses! Moses!” He answered, “Here I am.”

The voice of God calling Moses by name is the most startling aspect of this experience. The repetition of his name stresses how important this event is.

This echoes a similar event from Genesis 22: But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham!” “Here I am,” he answered.

God said, “Come no nearer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.

The spot, and in fact the entire mountain, was made sacred by God’s presence. See Exodus 19:23; 24:2.

At that time, removing one’s shoes was the equivalent of today’s gesture of removing one’s hat, a token of respect and submission.

I am the God of your father,” he continued, “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.”

The first part of the divine revelation is that the God who speaks is the very God who was worshiped by the ancestors.

Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

Moses wasn’t afraid of the burning bush until he realized that God was in it. For who can look at God and live? (Exodus 33:20).

But the LORD said, “I have witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt and have heard their cry of complaint against their slave drivers, so I know well what they are suffering. Therefore I have come down to rescue them from the hands of the Egyptians 

Four very expressive verbs are used to describe God’s choice of action concerning Israel: I have witnessed… I have heard… I know… I have come down. 

Notice how this sequence includes no human action. The initiative, as always, lies with God. He has seen and heard the cry of his suffering people (Exodus 2:23-25).

and lead them out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.”

This phrase describes the salvific event that gives this book of the Bible its name: in Greek and Latin, “exodus” means “going out.”

An abundance of milk and honey is a sign of prosperity and peace.

There is a subtle reference to God’s omnipotence in this passage. In the time of Moses, gods were typically thought to be tied to specific nations or territories, with their sovereignty limited to those borders. By revealing himself in Midian, rescuing the Israelites from Egypt, and guiding them to the Promised Land of Canaan, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob demonstrates supreme authority over all creation, transcending borders and national boundaries.

“But,” said Moses to God, “when I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ if they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what am I to tell them?”

The Israelites had been living in Egypt for hundreds of years (Exodus 12:40-41), where they were exposed to Egyptian religious customs and their many gods. Anticipating their need for reassurance, Moses expects them to ask for God’s name as a way to verify Moses’ legitimacy and understand who this God was in relation to their circumstances.

God replied, “I am who am.”

Ehyeh asher ehyeh (“I am who am”) is difficult to translate precisely but conveys a sense of self-existence, eternal being, and unchanging nature.

God is not just giving a name but revealing his eternal, self-existent nature.

Then he added, “This is what you shall tell the Israelites: I AM sent me to you.”

This shortened form (Ehyeh, “I AM”) emphasizes God’s presence and active existence.

Jesus later alludes to this name in John 8:58 (“Before Abraham was, I AM”), further underscoring its divine significance.

“This divine name is mysterious just as God is mystery. It is at once a name revealed and something like the refusal of a name, and hence it better expresses God as what he is — infinitely above everything that we can understand or say: he is the ‘hidden God’ (Isaiah 45:15), his name is ineffable, and he is the God who makes himself close to men (Judges 13:18)”  (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 206).

God spoke further to Moses, “Thus shall you say to the Israelites: The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.”

God introduces the name YHWH, which is believed to be a third-person form of ehyeh, meaning “He is” or “He will be.” This shifts the focus from God’s self-identification (I AM) to how others should refer to him (He Is).

YHWH is often rendered as “LORD” in English Bibles, as it is here, following reverential Jewish tradition of not pronouncing the name.

Lest the name YHWH should puzzle them, Moses is directed to further identify God by connecting him with the covenant promises made to the patriarchs: The God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.

This is my name forever; thus am I to be remembered through all generations.”

Unlike Egypt’s many deities that changed with dynasties, God remains constant. His identity and faithfulness are enduring.

This is the name by which God will be called upon throughout the centuries.

2nd Reading – 1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12

I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters,
that our ancestors were all under the cloud
and all passed through the sea,
and all of them were baptized into Moses
in the cloud and in the sea.
All ate the same spiritual food,
and all drank the same spiritual drink,
for they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them,
and the rock was the Christ.
Yet God was not pleased with most of them,
for they were struck down in the desert.

These things happened as examples for us,
so that we might not desire evil things, as they did.
Do not grumble as some of them did,
and suffered death by the destroyer.
These things happened to them as an example,
and they have been written down as a warning to us,
upon whom the end of the ages has come.
Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing secure
should take care not to fall.

In today’s second reading, Paul warns the Corinthians against complacency and overconfidence in their status as Christians.

I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea,

Paul reminds the Corinthians of Israel’s history in the wilderness, highlighting the extraordinary blessings they received from God along the way.

A divine cloud both guided and protected them on their journey (Exodus 13:21-22; Psalm 105:39), and God miraculously parted the Red Sea to secure their escape from Egypt (Exodus 14:21-29).

and all of them were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.

Both of these events prefigured baptism.

“Baptized into Moses” suggests that Israel was joined to Moses and everything he represented, just as Christians are baptized into Christ.

All ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink,

More extraordinary blessings: the manna God provided to the Israelites in the desert (Exodus 16:1-36) and the water from the rock that Moses struck (Exodus 17:1-7; Numbers 20:2-13).

for they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them,

Because Moses got water from the rock at the beginning of the wilderness sojourn (Exodus 17:1-7) and again at its end (Numbers 20:2-13), rabbinic tradition connected these two events and developed the idea that the rock itself traveled with the Israelites, continuously providing water throughout their journey.

and the rock was the Christ.

Throughout his writings, Paul frequently employs typology, where Old Testament events, objects, or figures prefigure Christ.

Here, Paul reinterprets the ongoing presence of the rock as a Christological symbol: just as the rock sustained Israel, Christ is the true source of spiritual sustenance.

The idea that Christ was already present in salvation history at the time of the Exodus aligns with the pre-incarnate Logos (Word) in John 1:1-14.

Yet God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the desert.

Despite all the wonders that God worked for them, many Israelites still fell into sin and faced judgment.

These things happened as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil things, as they did.

Paul explicitly states that Israel’s failures are lessons for Christians.

The evil things the Israelites desired likely refers to their idolatry, immorality, and complaints against God (Numbers 11:4, 25:1-9). Since the Corinthians faced similar temptations, Paul urges them to learn from Israel’s mistakes.

Do not grumble as some of them did, 

Paul warns against grumbling, a repeated sin of the Israelites in the wilderness. They frequently complained against Moses, Aaron, and even God, questioning his provision and leadership (Exodus 16:2-3; Numbers 14:2; Numbers 21:4-5).

Complaining reflects a heart of rebellion and ingratitude, which can lead to spiritual downfall.

and suffered death by the destroyer.

Based on the story of the Passover (Exodus 12:23), many rabbis believed that there was a special angel of destruction, an executioner of divine vengeance.

These things happened to them as an example, and they have been written down as a warning to us, upon whom the end of the ages has come.

Paul reiterates that Israel’s history serves as a moral and spiritual lesson for later generations. Their failures are meant to teach, warn, and guide believers.

“Upon whom the ends of the ages have come” probably refers to the new covenant era inaugurated by Christ. It suggests an urgency — believers must learn from the past and stay faithful as history moves toward its fulfillment in Christ.

Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall.

Paul concludes with a strong warning against spiritual pride.

As Israel’s history shows, receiving God’s wondrous gifts — including the privilege of the Christian calling and initiation into its mysteries — is, in itself, no guarantee of salvation.

“Paul wants to remind us that we are not saved merely because we happen to have been the recipients of God’s free grace. We have to demonstrate that we are willing recipients of that free gift. The children of Israel received it, but they proved to be unworthy of it, and so they were not saved” (Origin (ca. 240 AD, Commentary on First Corinthians 4, 45, 2-5).

Gospel – Luke 13:1-9

Some people told Jesus about the Galileans
whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.
Jesus said to them in reply,
“Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way
they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!
Or those eighteen people who were killed
when the tower at Siloam fell on them—
do you think they were more guilty
than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!”

And he told them this parable:
“There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard,
and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none,
he said to the gardener,
‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree
but have found none.
So cut it down.
Why should it exhaust the soil?’
He said to him in reply,
‘Sir, leave it for this year also,
and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it;
it may bear fruit in the future.
If not you can cut it down.’”

This week’s gospel reading features a call to repentance and the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree, both emphasizing the Lenten themes of conversion and God’s mercy.

Some people told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.

This incident is not recorded elsewhere in Scripture, but it likely refers to a massacre of Galilean worshippers at the temple in Jerusalem. Pilate, the Roman governor, was notorious for his brutality, and this incident is consistent with his well-documented acts of oppression.

The victims were slain during ritual sacrifice, their blood mingling with that of their offerings.

We are not told how many victims there were; perhaps it was only a few, which would explain why this event is not better known.

He said to them in reply, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans? By no means!

The people who brought this to Jesus seem to have believed that these Galileans suffered because of their sins, reflecting the Jewish thinking of that time, which often linked suffering to personal guilt.

Jesus rejects the idea that these Galileans were singled out for divine punishment (see also John 9:3).

But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!

The real issue is not their level of sinfulness compared to others, but that everyone needs to repent or face a similar fate — not necessarily physical death, but eternal judgment.

Death can come unexpectedly, leaving no time for repentance. Rather than speculating on why tragedies happen, we should ensure our own souls are prepared for judgment.

We are all sinners, deserving far greater consequences than any earthly hardship. Left to ourselves, we would face eternal separation from God, but through Christ’s sacrifice, the way to salvation has been opened. It is only through true repentance that we can receive his mercy and be freed from the judgment we rightfully deserve.

“When you meet with suffering, the cross, your thought should be: What is this compared with what I deserve?” (Saint Josemaría Escrivá, The Way, 690).

Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them –

Jesus references another tragedy, this time a seemingly random accident rather than an act of political violence.

The tower referred to was probably one of the towers that guarded the pool of Siloam, located in the southeastern corner of Jerusalem.

do you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem? By no means! 

Again, Jesus insists that the fate of those who perished was not related to their moral state. Whether the cause is human evil (Pilate’s massacre) or natural disaster (a tower collapse), suffering is not necessarily tied to an individual’s sinfulness.

But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!”

Jesus repeats his warning, emphasizing that repentance is urgent and necessary.

“Jesus tells us that, without Holy Baptism, no one will enter the Kingdom of Heaven (John 3:5); and, elsewhere, that if we do not repent, we will all perish (Luke 13:3). This is all easily understood. Ever since man sinned, all his senses rebel against reason; therefore, if we want the flesh to be controlled by the spirit and by reason, it must be mortified; if we do not want the body to be at war with the soul, it and all our senses need to be chastened; if we desire to go to God, the soul with all its faculties needs to be mortified” (St. John Mary Vianney, Selected Sermons, Ash Wednesday).

And he told them this parable: “There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, he said to the gardener, ‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. So cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?’

Building on the call to repentance, Jesus teaches the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree to further illustrate the urgency of spiritual transformation.

Any unrepentant person in Jesus’ audience is like the fig tree he describes. They are not bearing fruit. No one knows how long they have to repent and bear fruit in this life; therefore, the time to repent is now.

He said to him in reply, ‘Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.’”

The caretaker (possibly symbolizing Jesus or God’s mercy) pleads for more time and offers to provide additional care.

However, there is a limit to God’s patience: eventually, unrepentance leads to judgment.

In this way, God embodies both the just owner and the merciful gardener. While the owner represents justice, the gardener shows mercy by offering us time to repent. During our lifetime, God provides every opportunity and means to foster our repentance. It is up to us to make use of these gifts, as they are not limitless. Final judgment is a reality we all will face.

Connections and Themes

I Am Who Am. In the burning bush, God reveals His name to Moses: Ehyeh asher ehyeh (“I am who am”), a declaration of his eternal presence, unchanging nature, and boundless authority. This divine name is both a revelation and a mystery — God makes himself known, yet his essence remains beyond full human understanding. In the ancient world, names carried power and meaning; to know someone’s name was to have a connection to their identity. But God’s name resists human control, revealing instead his eternal, self-sufficient existence. He is not defined by anything outside himself. God is always present, always active, and not bound by time or circumstance.

The God who saves and calls.  This same God, unchanging and ever-present, is the One who leads his people from slavery into freedom, yet they often fail to recognize and honor him. In our second reading, Paul warns that despite having been led by God, the Israelites fell into sin, forgetting the holiness of the One who sustained them. In the gospel reading, Jesus echoes this urgent call to conversion. When confronted with tragedies, he shifts the focus from external misfortune to personal repentance, warning that unless people turn back to God, they will likewise perish. Yet, even in judgment, God’s mercy shines through—like the gardener who pleads for more time for the barren fig tree, God offers opportunities for renewal, urging us to bear fruit before it is too late.

The rock is Christ. In the second reading, Paul speaks of the Israelites in the wilderness, saying, “They drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.” This powerful statement connects the Old Testament journey of God’s people to the saving work of Jesus, revealing that Christ has always been the true source of life and sustenance.

Just as God sent Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, he sent Christ to free us from the bondage of sin. As the Israelites relied on the rock to sustain them in the desert, we depend on Christ, the true Rock, to nourish our souls. He is the source of living water, the firm foundation on which we must build, and the merciful Savior who calls us to repentance. Without him, we wither like the barren fig tree; with him, we bear fruit and find eternal life.