Daily Catholic Lectio
Thu, 24 July ‘25
Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time – Thursday
Exodus 19:1–2, 9–11, 16–20. Matthew 13:10–17
God’s Glory amidst Humans
Today’s readings open our hearts to an amazing truth — God is not far from us. He comes down to dwell among us, to speak with us, to share His glory with us.
Let us begin with a moment in salvation history that takes our breath away: God descending on Mount Sinai.
1. God Comes Down to Us
In the first reading from Exodus 19, God comes down on Mount Sinai with thunder, lightning, thick cloud, smoke, fire, and trumpet blasts. The people tremble. Even the mountain shakes. The Israelites are told to prepare — to wash themselves and their clothes, to remain pure, to be ready.
Why such awe? Why such fear? Because God, the Most High, is coming down to be with His people. He tells Moses: “I have seen the misery of my people in Egypt, I have heard their cry… I have come down to rescue them.” (Exodus 3:7–8) This is a God who draws near, who is moved by suffering, who steps into history to walk with us.
2. Jesus: God in Our Midst
What happened on Mount Sinai is a powerful display. But something even more wonderful happens in the New Testament.
In the Gospel (Matthew 13:10–17), Jesus explains why He speaks in parables. Many people see, but do not understand; they hear, but do not listen. Their hearts are closed. Still, Jesus teaches patiently, using stories to help people see God’s truth.
Then He turns to His disciples and says: “Blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear.” Unlike Mount Sinai, where only Moses spoke with God, now in Jesus, God speaks directly to the people. He is no longer distant, wrapped in thunder. He is near, walking the dusty roads, teaching in gentle parables, healing with compassion, and calling each one by name.
Through Jesus, God’s presence becomes personal — no longer tied to a mountain, but to a person. As the Letter to the Hebrews says: “You have not come to a mountain that burns with fire, but to Mount Zion… to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant.” (Hebrews 12:18–24)
3. God’s Glory in Our Midst Today
Today, God’s glory is not found in smoke or fire — but in the quiet presence of the Eucharist, the warmth of community, the power of the Word, and the whisper of the Holy Spirit.
God still descends, still speaks, still dwells among us. His presence is not just in sacred buildings, but in our hearts, our homes, and our human encounters.
In the Old Testament, God’s presence was tied to a place. In the New Testament, it is tied to a person — Jesus. Today, that presence continues in each of us, through the Holy Spirit.
Let us never forget: we live in the presence of the living God. And this presence must not stop with us. We are called to share it, to reveal it, to be signs of it.
4. Living in God’s Presence
Let us ask ourselves: Do I recognize God’s glory in my life — in prayer, in the poor, in the Church? Do I live with the awareness that I am always standing before God? Do I help others experience God’s closeness through my words and actions? Like Moses, who went up the mountain, and like the disciples, who walked with Jesus, we are invited to approach God with reverence and joy. God’s glory is not far. It is here. It is now. Among us.
Conclusion
The God who once thundered from the mountain now whispers in the heart. Let us receive His Word, remain in His presence, and reflect His glory to others. As disciples, let us become living signs that God is truly with us.
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
Yesu Karunanidhi 
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