Daily Catholic Mass Readings for August 8, 2017
First Reading: Numbers 12.1-13
1Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite.2"Has the LORD spoken only through Moses?" they asked. "Hasn't he also spoken through us?" And the LORD heard this.3(Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)4At once the LORD said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, "Come out to the Tent of Meeting, all three of you." So the three of them came out.5Then the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud; he stood at the entrance to the Tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When both of them stepped forward,6he said, "Listen to my words: "When a prophet of the LORD is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams.7But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house.8With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?"9The anger of the LORD burned against them, and he left them.10When the cloud lifted from above the Tent, there stood Miriam-leprous, like snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had leprosy;11and he said to Moses, "Please, my lord, do not hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed.12Do not let her be like a stillborn infant coming from its mother's womb with its flesh half eaten away."13So Moses cried out to the LORD, "O God, please heal her!"
Psalm 51
1Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.2Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.3For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.4Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.5Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.6Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.7Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.8Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.9Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.10Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.11Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.12Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.13Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.14Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.15O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.16You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.18In your good pleasure make Zion prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem.19Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight you; then bulls will be offered on your altar.
Sermon
The first reading from Numbers 12:1-13 presents a story of conflict and divine intervention. Miriam and Aaron, siblings of Moses, challenge his leadership and question God’s exclusive communication through him. They also criticize Moses for marrying an Ethiopian woman. God, displeased with their jealousy and lack of trust, appears in a column of cloud and rebukes them. Miriam is afflicted with leprosy, a visible sign of God’s displeasure, but through Moses’ intercession, she is eventually healed. This story highlights themes of humility, trust in God’s plan, and the importance of unity among leaders.
The context of this passage is set during the Israelites’ journey in the wilderness, where Moses is the primary leader and prophet. Miriam and Aaron, who also hold leadership roles, allow jealousy to cloud their judgment, forgetting that God can speak through anyone He chooses. Their actions reveal the dangers of envy and the importance of respecting the roles God has given to others. Moses’ meekness and his willingness to pray for his sister, even after her wrongdoing, demonstrate his deep humility and faith in God’s mercy.
This story invites us to reflect on our own relationships and attitudes. How often do we allow jealousy or pride to overshadow our trust in God’s plan? Like Miriam and Aaron, we may sometimes doubt God’s choices or feel threatened by the gifts He gives to others. Yet, the story reminds us that God’s ways are not our ways, and His wisdom surpasses human understanding. Moses’ example teaches us to respond to conflict with humility and compassion, rather than anger or resentment. Let us ask for the grace to trust in God’s plan and to love and support one another, even when we feel challenged or misunderstood.