Day 6 · The Nativity Fast
The Bush That Was Not Consumed
“The LORD’s angel appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the middle of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush burnt with fire, and the bush was not consumed.”Exodus 3:2
Reflection
Moses saw a bush burning without burning up, and found himself standing before the living God. The Church's hymns see in that bush an image of the Mother of God: she carried the fire of the Godhead in her womb and was not consumed. The same mystery reaches us. God draws near, not to destroy us, but to fill us with his life. As we fast, we are learning to become people who can stand near that fire and be warmed rather than burned.
A prayer
Holy God, you appeared to Moses in fire and did not destroy, and you came to dwell in the Virgin's womb. Burn away what is false in me, and let what remains be filled with your light. Teach me reverence in your presence. Amen.
Carry this with you
Take off your shoes, so to speak: spend two minutes in silence before God today.