On Monday of the Third Week of Lent our Church invites us to first read and reflect on a passage from the book of Exodus (24:1-18) entitled "The ratification of the covenant on Mount Sanai". Our treasure, which follows, is from a homily by Saint Basil the Great, bishop.
Saint Basil the Great was a fourth century Church Father and a Doctor of the Church. Because of the majesty and keenness of his eloquence, he is honored as "the revealer of heavenly things" and "the Great". He was an early Roman Christian prelate who served as Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia from 370 until his death in 379..
He was an influential theologian who supported the Nicene Creed and opposed heresies of the early Christian church, especially Arianism. (Arianism taught that Jesus Christ was not divine). In addition to his work as a theologian, Saint Basil was known for his care of the poor and underprivileged. Basil established guidelines for monastic life which focus on community life, liturgical prayer, and manual labor.
The most significant teaching of Basil the Great is his clear vision that the Christian life is a life of transformation through the Holy Spirit, lived in communion with others through charity, humility, and disciplined prayer.
As one of the great leaders of the early Church and a defender of the divinity of the Holy Spirit during the First Council of Constantinople era, Basil emphasized that the Holy Spirit is truly God and the source of our sanctification. In his famous work, On the Holy Spirit, he explained that the Spirit makes us capable of sharing in God's life. Through the Spirit, believers are purified, enlightened, and gradually transformed into the likeness of Christ. For Basil, holiness is not merely moral improvement but participation in the divine life that the Spirit gives.
A second key aspect of his teaching is that faith must express itself in concrete love for others, especially the poor. Basil spoke strongly against indifference to the needy. He taught that the goods we possess are gifts entrusted to us by God for the benefit of all. In one of his most famous teachings he said, in essence, that the bread you keep belongs to the hungry and the cloak stored in your closet belongs to the one who lacks clothing. For Basil, charity was not optional generosity but a requirement of Christian justice.
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.
