Moses was born to a family of the tribe of Levi in Goshen, about 500 years after the reign of Joseph as governor in Egypt. In those days, the Hebrew people were in bondage under harsh Egyptian oppression. The Egyptians had forgotten Joseph the Israelite and how he had saved them from famine so many years earlier. They were afraid of the Israelites now because they had multiplied and grown strong. Rumor grew in the land of a savior for the Hebrews. So, during the time Moses was born, Pharoah decreed that every newborn Hebrew son be killed. Fearing for her son’s life, Moses’ mother placed him in a basket and sent him down the Nile, where Pharoah’s daughter drew him out of the water and raised him as her own.
When Moses was grown, he felt called to go see his true people, the Hebrews in Goshen. Upon seeing an Egyptian taskmaster strike one of the Hebrew slaves, Moses killed the Egyptian. Fearing that his crime would be discovered, he fled to the land of Midian, where he married and had a son. There on Mt. Horeb, God appeared to Moses in a burning bush and asked him to return to Egypt to free His people.
When Moses returned to Egypt, God cursed Pharoah with Ten Plagues, until he freed the Hebrew slaves. Moses lead the Hebrew people out of Egypt and parted the Red Sea to help them escape, consequently killing the Egyptians who had pursued them. He brought the Hebrews to the base of Mt. Sinai. At the top of this mountain, he received two stone tablets from God, containing the Ten Commandments. Moses was supposed to bring the Hebrews into the Promised Land of Canaan, but, due to a moment of doubt, he did not make it there. He died at the age 120 in Moab, just outside of the Promised Land.
Practical Lessons
- Listen to God: Moses listened to God’s voice, and he obeyed. We should be like Moses, always seeking God’s voice and ready to do His will.
- Be Not Afraid: When Moses returned to Egypt to face Pharoah, he was unsure of himself and feared for his life. Still, he trusted in God and obeyed His commands. Because of Moses’ faith in the face of great danger and opposition, God delivered him and the Israelites to freedom.
Prayer
Glorious St. Moses, who did appear with Our Lord during His Transfiguration, pray for us that we may always follow His commandments, which you were blessed and privileged to receive first on Mt. Sinai for the betterment and ultimate salvation of mankind. Amen.
Other Saints We Remember Today
- St. Rosalia (1160), Virgin, Patroness of Palermo, Sicily
- St. Rose of Viterbo (1252), Virgin
