Daily Catholic Mass Readings for August 8, 2019
First Reading: Numbers 20.1-13
1In the first month the whole Israelite community arrived at the Desert of Zin, and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried.2Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron.3They quarreled with Moses and said, "If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the LORD!4Why did you bring the LORD's community into this desert, that we and our livestock should die here?5Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!"6Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the LORD appeared to them.7The LORD said to Moses,8"Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink."9So Moses took the staff from the LORD's presence, just as he commanded him.10He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, "Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?"11Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.12But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them."13These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the LORD and where he showed himself holy among them.
Psalm 95
1Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.2Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.3For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.4In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him.5The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.6Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;7for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if you hear his voice,8do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the desert,9where your fathers tested and tried me, though they had seen what I did.10For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, "They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways."11So I declared on oath in my anger, "They shall never enter my rest."
Gospel: Matthew 16.13-23
13When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"14They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."15"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"16Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."17Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.18And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."20Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.21From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.22Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!"23Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."
Sermon
The first reading from Numbers and the Gospel from Matthew both touch on themes of faith, leadership, and the challenges of following God’s plan. In Numbers, the Israelites find themselves in the wilderness, struggling with thirst and doubt. Moses, in his frustration, strikes the rock to produce water, an act that, while it provides immediate relief, also reveals a momentary lack of trust in God’s plan. This impulsive action has consequences, as Moses is later told he will not enter the Promised Land. The reading reminds us that even the greatest leaders can falter, but it also shows how God remains faithful even when we are not.
In the Gospel, Jesus asks his disciples who they believe he is, and Peter, in a moment of profound insight, confesses that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus praises Peter’s faith and establishes him as the rock upon which the Church will be built. Yet, when Jesus begins to speak of his coming suffering and death, Peter’s faith wavers, and he tries to dissuade Jesus from the cross. Jesus rebukes Peter, reminding him that true faith requires trusting in God’s plan, even when it is difficult to understand.
These readings invite us to reflect on our own faith. Like the Israelites, we often find ourselves in situations where we doubt God’s presence or provision. Like Peter, we may have moments of great insight and courage, but we also stumble when the path ahead seems uncertain or difficult. The key lesson is that faith is not about having all the answers or never faltering; it is about trusting in God’s plan, even when it leads us through the wilderness. Let us ask for the grace to trust in God’s providence, to follow Him even when the road is hard, and to remember that He is always with us, guiding us toward His kingdom.