On Thursday of the First Week of Lent our Church invites us to first read and reflect on a passage from the book of Exodus (12:1-20) entitled "The Passover and the unleavened bread". Our treasure, which follows, is from a homily by Saint Asterius of Amasea, bishop.
Saint Asterius of Amasea, bishop and preacher, was born in Cappadocia in 350. Saint Asterius, having specialized in rhetoric and the practice of law, abandoned this profession to enter the clergy, and subsequently became metropolitan of Amasea in Pontus between 380 and 390. His extant writings consist of 16 homilies and panegyrics of the martyrs. His style is elegant, vigorous, and vivid, as in his description of a hunting scene in a sermon on Lazarus. His sermons show the high esteem in which the martyrs were held and throw light upon contemporary events, such as the persecution under Julian the Apostate and the pagan customs still in vogue at the beginning of the year. A sermon on St. Euphemia is important in the history of art, because a painting of this saint is compared with the works of Euphranor and Timomachus. The Second Council of Nicaea (787) twice referred to this picture as a proof that sacred images were venerated in the ancient Church. This council also speaks of Asterius as a saint, and he is honored as such by the Greek church. Saint Asterius died in Amasea in 410.
The Book of Exodus, the second book of the Pentateuch, takes its name from a Greek word meaning "departure," highlighting the defining event of Israel's history: the Lord's deliverance of His people from slavery in Egypt. Its Hebrew title, Shemoth — "Names" — comes from its opening line, reminding us that God's saving work unfolds within real history, among real persons whom He knows and calls.
Exodus continues the sacred story where Genesis ends. The descendants of Jacob, once welcomed in Egypt, find themselves oppressed and enslaved. Into this suffering, God reveals Himself not as distant, but as the One who hears the cry of His people. Through Moses, He performs mighty works, freeing Israel and leading them through the Red Sea — an event the Church has long recognized as a powerful foreshadowing of Baptism and redemption.
Yet liberation is only the beginning. At Mount Sinai, God establishes His covenant with Israel. The Law (torah) given through Moses is not merely a set of rules but the framework of a relationship. God saves first; then He teaches His people how to live in the freedom He has given. The moral, civil, and ritual laws form Israel into a holy nation, called to reflect God's own holiness before the world.
A striking portion of Exodus is devoted to the tabernacle, the portable sanctuary where God chooses to dwell among His people. This reveals the deeper purpose of salvation: communion. God does not simply rescue Israel from something — He rescues them for something — life in His presence. Even when Israel falls into rebellion, we witness repentance, covenant renewal, and divine mercy. The book culminates with the construction of the tabernacle and the descent of the cloud, the visible sign of God's glorious presence.
In Exodus, we see the foundations of Israel's identity: a people redeemed, covenanted, instructed, and indwelt by God. For Catholics, the book speaks not only of ancient history but of the enduring pattern of salvation: God delivers, God binds Himself to His people, God teaches, and God remains with them.
