A sense of urgency pervades the message of Lk 12-13. It is not so much that final judgment is imminent, but rather the urgency that comes from the realization that the opportunity for repentance and conversion presented today will be forever gone tomorrow, and that ultimate judgment depends on what we are and what we do in the present moment.

The two examples in vv 1-4 are not found in any non-Biblical historical source, but they certainly fit the times. Pontius Pilate was a tyrant whose excess cruelty got him in trouble with higher Roman authorities — and they were not noted for their gentleness either! The tower was likely a part of the water project for Jerusalem which was being built with funds confiscated from the temple treasury. The Jews who worked on it may have been considered traitors, and therefore any work-related casualties would have been seen as God’s punishment on them.

Jesus’ message here is twofold. First, we should not look for signs of God’s wrath in every such event. Secondly, we are all guilty, we are all in need of conversion. We cannot withhold compassion from victims of disaster (or discrimination or poverty) in an attitude of self-righteous moral superiority ("they had it coming"), nor can we fail to realize that, in view of the demands of God’s kingdom, we must look to our own change of heart rather than concern ourselves about what sort of punishment others may deserve.

Although the call to conversion demands immediate and earnest response, the second part of this reading affirms that the actual accomplishment of reform is a slow, growth-oriented, painstaking process. Although God will not tolerate delay in taking the decisive first steps, once those steps become clear, he shows infinite patience in bringing them to completion.

This religious experience of Moses at the foot of Mount Horeb (Sinai) marked the beginning of the decisive event of liberation which established the people of Israel as a nation. It is best not to be too concerned about incidental outward features of the narrative, such as the bush, the fire, or the angel, for the important thing is the inner change (conversion) that took place within Moses himself. Inner realities are often expressed in metaphorical language in the Bible. The essence of this event is that Moses came to the realization that the ancestral God of his people, whom they had forgotten during the long years of slavery, still cared for them and wished to set them free. Moses recognized his responsibility as leader and liberator, but also feared the difficulty of the task, and was strengthened by his vision of God’s presence and power.

The divine name revealed here "I Am Who Am," in Hebrew YAHWEH, is obscure in its exact meaning. As it stands, it says nothing except to affirm the existence of God as Supreme Being — it is not really a name. Yet, if this means that the name itself is in fact a refusal to give a name, it has even deeper meaning. Knowing the name of someone or something gives a certain control over them (see Gn 2:19-20; 32:27-31). Pagans invoked their deities by name, expecting favors in return. God, on the other hand, in declaring that he is Lord over his people, emphasized that they could not dominate or manipulate him. Some see an active significance in the name, meaning not just "I Am," but "I Am With You (to deliver you)."

This psalm continues the theme of God’s faithful, active, loving presence. Response: "The Lord is kind and merciful."

Paul, writing to a Christian community torn by factions and not living united in Christ, appeals to the experience of the Jews in the desert to show that salvation is not merely the automatic consequence of baptism or the receiving of the eucharist, but demands living in accord with what is received.

1. Discuss what may be meant by "the grace of the present moment." What does the urgency of Christ’s call mean to us two thousand years later?

2. By what names or titles do you invoke God? What do these have to say about how you understand your relationship to him?