Moses and God had a very close relationship. According to the Book of Exodus, Moses spent 40 days and 40 nights with God on Mt. Sinai. (However, one source says Moses came down from the mountain 6 times, primarily to check on the People of Israel). The first reading today illustrates that close relationship. God has decided to destroy the People and he tells Moses to go down the mountain and tell the People they are about to be wiped out because of their lack of belief. Moses bargains with God – argues actually. And God changes his mind.

Arguing with God is not to be taken lightly. Yet, if one is close enough in any relationship, arguments are inevitable.

Earlier in their relationship, Moses asked God his name. God didn’t answer directly. He said his name was “I Am,” not so much a name as a description.

Shortly after the event in today’s first reading, Moses asks to see God’s face. A reasonable request given that the two had spent so much time together.

God says no. It would literally kill Moses if he were face to face with God. So the Lord (Jesus would never pronounce the Name of God, so they referred to him as “The Lord”) proposes a compromise. God puts Moses inside a cave in the mountain. God will walk by the cave, but put his hand over the face of the cave so Moses will not see him. Then, as he passes, God will remove his hand and Moses could look out and see the back of God as he passes by.

I don’t think there is anyone so close to God as to know his real name and certainly not to have seen his face.

So we have to settle for a kind of nickname and the back of God passing by. Not even that is the norm for most people. God is too remote, even to the point of near absence for most people. We have other things to do. We are very busy people and are not about to sit on a mountain top for 40 days waiting for what we don’t completely believe.

But we do have Jesus. As recorded in today’s Gospel selection, when we see Jesus, we see God. And we clearly know his name. The challenge then is to ask ourselves how we communicate with Jesus. We call this prayer of course and there are many ways to pray.

In less than two weeks, it will be Holy Week. It will also be Spring Break. The two are not incompatible. One can celebrate the events of the holiest week of the year and still enjoy the relaxation of no school. It doesn’t always happen at the same time. But surely one would not want to miss the liturgies of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday night. These are the most sacred times in the Church Year.

Why would any believer miss the opportunity to be on the mountain, so to speak, with God, if only for three days?

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