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Reading from the book of Exodus. In
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those days, it was told the king of
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Egypt that the people had fled. Then the
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hearts of Pharaoh and his officials were
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turned against him, and they said, "What
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are we to do? How have we let Israel
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escape, thus depriving us of their
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So Pharaoh harnessed his chariot and
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took his people with him. He took 600
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chosen chariots and all the chariots of
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Egypt with their armorbearers. The Lord
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hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of
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Egypt, and he pursued the Israelites
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while they were marching out with their
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arms raised. The Egyptians pursued the
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Israelites with all Pharaoh's horses and
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chariots, his horsemen, and his army,
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and found them encamped by the sea near
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Fhareth opposite Beiel Sephan. As
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Pharaoh approached, the Israelites
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looked up and saw the Egyptians behind
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them. Terrified, they cried out to the
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Lord. They said to Moses, "Was it
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because there were no graves in Egypt
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that you brought us to die in the
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wilderness? What good was it for us to
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be brought out of Egypt? Wasn't that
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what we said to you there? Let us alone
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to serve the Egyptians, for it was
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better to serve the Egyptians than to
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die in the wilderness.
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Moses said to the people, "Do not be
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afraid. Stand firm, and you will see
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what the Lord will do today to save you.
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The Egyptians you see today, you will
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never see again. The Lord will fight for
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you, and you can rest assured." The Lord
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said to Moses, "Why do you cry to me for
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help? Tell the children of Israel to set
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out. As for you, lift up your staff,
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stretch out your hand over the sea, and
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divide it so that the children of Israel
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may walk on dry ground through the midst
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of the sea. For my part, I will harden
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the hearts of the Egyptians so that they
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will pursue them. And I will gain glory
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through Pharaoh and all his army, his
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chariots, and his horsemen. And the
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Egyptians will know that I am the Lord
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when I gain glory through Pharaoh and
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his chariots and his horsemen. The word
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of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
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Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus
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Christ according to St. Matthew. Glory
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to you, Lord. At that time some teachers
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of the law and Pharisees said to Jesus,
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"Teacher, we want to see a sign from
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you." Jesus answered them, "An evil and
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adulterous generation seeks after a
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sign, and no sign will be given to it
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except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
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For as Jonah was three days and three
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nights in the belly of the whale, so the
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Son of Man will be three days and three
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nights in the heart of the earth. On the
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day of judgment, the people of Nineveh
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will rise up against this generation and
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condemn it because they repented at the
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preaching of Jonah. And one greater than
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Jonah is here. On the day of judgment,
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the queen of the south will rise up
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against this generation and condemn it
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because she came from the ends of the
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earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. And
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one greater than Solomon is here. Word
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of salvation. Glory to you, Lord.
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Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
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imagine yourself trapped between two
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rocky mountains with an enemy army
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rapidly approaching from behind and a
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vast stormy sea in front of you. There
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is nowhere to go, no way out in sight.
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Despair begins to grip your hearts. This
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was exactly the situation the people of
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Israel faced on the shores of the Red
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Sea. A scene that seems straight out of
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a thriller, but which is the stark
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reality of our first reading today.
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Pharaoh had changed his mind. After
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releasing the Israelites after the 10
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devastating plagues, he woke up in the
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morning and thought, "What have we done
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letting Israel go so that they no longer
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serve us?" How human this reaction is.
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How often do we too make the right
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decisions in moments of crisis only to
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regret them when the consequences become
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clear? Pharaoh mobilized his army, 600
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chosen chariots, all the chariots of
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Egypt, an impressive military force that
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made the earth tremble under the weight
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of their wheels. From a human
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perspective, it was an impossible
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situation for the Israelites. They were
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former slaves, unarmed, with women,
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children, and the elderly among them. It
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was David against Goliath, multiplied by
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thousands. And it is in this moment of
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seemingly imminent defeat that God
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reveals his power in a way that would
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forever mark the memory of the chosen
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people. Why do you cry out to me? The
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Lord says to Moses, "Tell the Israelites
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to go forward." What an astonishing
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command, to go forward when there is no
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way forward. To press forward when all
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seems lost. But God had a plan. He
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instructed Moses to stretch out his hand
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over the sea, promising that the waters
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would part. And then comes one of the
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most powerful statements in all of
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scripture. I will glorify myself through
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Pharaoh and all his army, and the
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Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.
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Reflect on this statement, my brothers
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and sisters. God was not just saving his
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people. He was revealing his nature,
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demonstrating his power, making it clear
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to all nations that he is the Lord.
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Sometimes God allows us to reach the end
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of our own resources so that we can
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fully experience his supernatural power.
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This story resonates through the
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centuries because all of us at some
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point have found ourselves before our
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own Red Sea. Perhaps it's a disease that
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seems incurable, a desperate financial
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situation, a seemingly irreparable
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relationship, an addiction that seems
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impossible to overcome. The enemy is
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behind us. The obstacle is in front of
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us. And we see no way out. It is
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precisely in these moments that God
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reveals himself most clearly. Not when
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everything is going well and we don't
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need him, but when we are at the end of
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our resources, when our only option is
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to trust completely in his power.
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Turning now to the Gospel of Matthew, we
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find a completely different scene, but
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one that carries a deeply related
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message. The scribes and Pharisees
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approached Jesus with a seemingly
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reasonable request. Teacher, we want to
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see a sign from you. At first glance,
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this request may seem legitimate. After
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all, if Jesus claims to be who he says
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he is, why not show a convincing sign?
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But Jesus sees through the facade of
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this request and reveals what is really
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happening, a wicked and adulterous
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generation seeks after a sign.
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Jesus realizes that this is not a
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sincere request from someone genuinely
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seeking truth. It is the arrogant demand
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of people who want God on their own
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terms, who want a God who performs
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tricks on demand, who satisfies their
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curiosity without demanding
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transformation of their lives. What a
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powerful contrast to the people of
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Israel at the Red Sea. There the people
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were desperate, recognizing their
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complete dependence on God. Here the
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religious leaders are making demands as
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if God must prove himself to them. Jesus
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responds with a reference to the prophet
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Jonah. As Jonah was three days and three
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nights in the belly of the fish, so the
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son of man will be three days and three
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nights in the heart of the earth. He is
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pointing to the greatest sign of all,
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his own death and resurrection. But then
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Jesus does something surprising. He
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contrasts this unbelieving generation
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with two others. the Ninevites and the
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Queen of the South. The Ninevites
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repented at the preaching of Jonah. And
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the queen of the south came from afar to
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hear Solomon's wisdom. And behold, a
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greater than Jonah is here. A greater
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than Solomon is here. This is a
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devastating rebuke. Pagan people who
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lack the privilege of knowing the
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scriptures responded better to God's
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revelation than those who should have
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been better prepared to recognize it. My
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dear brothers and sisters, these two
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readings confront us with a fundamental
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question. What is our attitude toward
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God? Are we like the Israelites at the
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Red Sea, recognizing our desperate need
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for his intervention? Or are we like the
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scribes and Pharisees, making demands
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and setting conditions for our faith?
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The truth is that God has already
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performed the greatest possible sign in
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the death and resurrection of Jesus
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Christ. There is no clearer
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demonstration of his love. No more
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convincing proof of his power. The empty
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tomb is the parted Red Sea of the
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Christian era. A divine intervention
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that forever changed the course of human
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history. But just as the Israelites
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needed to step out in faith and enter
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the parted sea, we too need to respond
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to the sign God has already given us. We
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need to acknowledge Jesus as Lord,
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accept his sacrifice for our sins, and
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allow him to transform our lives. And
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when we find ourselves facing our own
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impossible situations, we can remember
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God's faithfulness at the Red Sea. The
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same God who parted the waters for the
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Israelites is the same God who raised
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Jesus from the dead. He is capable of
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doing the impossible in our lives, too.
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But this requires faith. It requires
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trusting him even when we can't see the
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way forward, even when the situation
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seems hopeless. It requires recognizing
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our complete dependence on his grace and
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power. Sometimes God leads us to the
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seashore so we can experience the
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miracle of crossing. Sometimes he allows
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us to face giants so we can discover
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that he is greater than any obstacle.
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Sometimes he places us in impossible
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situations so we can witness his
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transformative power. So today, whatever
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red sea you are facing, remember the
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same God who glorified himself in
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Pharaoh and his entire army wants to
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glorify himself in your situation as
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well. He wants to show his power, reveal
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his nature, demonstrate his love for
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you. Do not demand additional signs. The
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sign has already been given on the cross
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and at the empty tomb. Instead, like the
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ninevites, respond with repentance and
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faith. like the queen of the south. Seek
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the wisdom that only Christ can offer.
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And remember, he who is greater than
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Jonah, greater than Solomon, greater
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than any obstacle in your lives is with
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you. He divides seas, raises the dead,
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and turns impossibilities into miracles.
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May we have the faith of the Israelites
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to step into the divided sea. And may we
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have the wisdom to recognize that in
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Christ we have already received the
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greatest sign of all, the unconditional
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love and transforming power of God. May
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the Lord bless and keep you and may you
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experience his liberating power in every
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area of your lives. Amen.
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St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in
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battle. Be our protection against the
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wickedness and snares of the devil. May
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God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And do
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thou, O prince of the heavenly host by
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the power of God, cast into hell Satan
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and all the evil spirits who prowl
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throughout the world seeking the ruin of
