In today’s first reading, Moses assures the Israelites that God will continue to grant their request to provide a prophet as the mediator between God and themselves. In ancient Israel there was great fear of God and maintaining this separation was part of Jewish belief. God Himself commanded “you cannot see my face, for no one can see me and live.” (Exod. 33:20) Moses, in receiving the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, was the only exception to that. The Lord reassures Moses that He will raise up another mediator from their own kin whose words would be God’s words. God is both affirming and assuring the Israelites that He will choose the prophets to speak God’s words to the people. It will be the responsibility of the Israelites to listen to the words of these prophets even though none of them are named in this reading. Those who fail to listen to God’s chosen prophets or listen instead to false prophets will be made to answer for it. Then in the Gospel, we are again reminded of the prophet promised in the first reading who will teach God’s words with authority. But this time the prophet is named: He is Jesus, the Divine Word of God incarnate. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (Jn 1:1) The Gospel reading invites us to recognize Jesus’ power, authority, and divinity. By the sole power of His Word, Jesus casts out the demon. He conquers evil and sin. Still today at every Mass, Christ shows His divinity by using His consecrated priest to say the words that change ordinary bread and wine into the real presence of the body and blood of Christ. Christ is the ultimate Priest, Prophet and King. And the words Moses spoke to the Israelites, we too must heed, “to him you shall listen.” How well do we really listen to the Word of God spoken to us in scripture? Do we truly open our hearts and minds to receive His precious words? Do we take these words out of the church to share them with the world? Do we turn the words into acts of love?