SAINT BONAVENTURE, BISHOP AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH (MEMORIAL)

This is my name forever. 

“I am who am”—this is the phrase God used to reveal his name to Moses (Exodus 3:14). The original Hebrew, ehyeh asher ehyeh, is a wordplay that reflects the mysterious nature of the God of the universe. It tells us he is eternal and everlasting, with no beginning or end. He is the Creator of all that exists. He is so unlike us in every way that human language can scarcely describe him.

But notice that at the same time that God reveals his name, he also identifies himself in another way: “The God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob” (Exodus 3:15). The God of the universe is also the God of history. He has personally entered into the life of a people, the Israelites, and formed them. He called them his own and made a covenant with them. Now he is promising that through Moses, he will liberate them from slavery and give them a land flowing with milk and honey.

And that’s just the beginning! Over time, the God who exists beyond time will enter into time as a human being. Born of a virgin, he will grow up in a family and work as a tradesman in Nazareth. Eventually he will launch a public ministry of preaching and healing. Through his words and actions, he will show us who God is—a God who loves us unconditionally and has come to forgive and heal us. A God who is willing to die for us to liberate us from the slavery of sin and death so that we can live with him forever.

This is the same God who not only created you but who has entered into your own personal history! He is not just the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—he is your God as well. And through Jesus, you can know this mysterious, eternal God in an intimate way.

Today, spend some time meditating on God’s name: “I am who am.” Then stand in awe and thank your heavenly Father for making himself known to you through the very human face of Jesus.

“Father, I praise you for sending your Son so that I can know you in such a personal way.”

Psalm 105:1, 5, 8-9, 24-27
Matthew 11:28-30
Exodus 3:13-20

WORD AMONG US