MONDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT
O Adonai
Reflect
The Church Fathers associated the burning bush that appeared to Moses as a type — that is, an image or figure — of the Virgin Mary. The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., has beautiful mosaic depictions of the Mysteries of the Rosary paired with Old Testament types. It is the first place I saw the Annunciation paired with Moses at the burning bush in art. Just as Moses knelt before the presence of God in the bush, so the Archangel Gabriel paid homage to the Virgin Mary, who, at the moment of the Incarnation, bore God in her womb. With the same reverence of Moses and Gabriel, we should not hesitate to humble ourselves before God.
Pray
O Adonai, sacred Lord of ancient Israel, who showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush, who gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain, come, stretch out your mighty hand to set us free.
Live
Humble yourself before God today, perhaps by genuflecting before a crucifix in your home or by kneeling at your bedside for a quiet moment of prayer.
