Wednesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

Today's Mass Readings

With Unveiled Faces
Our God is holy. He is so holy that Moses’ face would become radiant while he spoke with Him. It is as if God’s holiness was reflected on Moses’ face. His face would become so radiant that Aaron and the people were afraid to get close to him. Moses would have to call them to come near so that he could tell them all the commandments of the LORD.

According to Exodus 34:33-35, Moses would cover his face only after he finished speaking to the people. That means, while Moses was speaking, his radiant face was uncovered. In this way, the people would know that it was really the LORD speaking to them, not Moses. “When he finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face.” (Ex. 34:33) But when Moses would go back to speak with the LORD, Moses would uncover his face. And then, when Moses came back to the people, while his face was radiant and uncovered, he would tell them all that the LORD had commanded, and only after would he cover his face. But why would he cover his face at all?

According to 2 Corinthians 3:7-13, St. Paul interprets the radiance of Moses’ face as only temporary. The radiance of his face would fade. That is why Moses would cover his face, “…so that the Israelites could not look intently at the cessation of what was fading.” (2 Cor. 3:13) And because Moses’ face would be veiled, the Israelites could not perceive that the glory would fade. St. Paul equates Moses’ glorious face with Moses’ glorious covenant, which was fading. There is a new covenant. The Apostle was trying to convince his fellow Jews that something more glorious than Moses and his covenant has come, something that endures and does not fade, namely, the Spirit of the Lord and the freedom that comes from the covenant of the Spirit (see 2 Cor. 3:17).

Reflection:
Moses stood with unveiled face before the LORD and reflected God’s glory. St. Paul says Christians are to stand unveiled before the LORD, as well. Yet, the glory we reflect will not fade, for we are being transformed inwardly, “…from glory to glory, as from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (2 Cor. 3:18b)

Reflection by Br. Luke Kral, OSB