Reading 1
Nm 12:1-13
Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses on the pretext
of the marriage he had contracted with a Cushite woman.
They complained, “Is it through Moses alone that the LORD speaks?
Does he not speak through us also?”
And the LORD heard this.
Now, Moses himself was by far the meekest man on the face of the earth.
So at once the LORD said to Moses and Aaron and Miriam,
“Come out, you three, to the meeting tent.”
And the three of them went.
Then the LORD came down in the column of cloud,
and standing at the entrance of the tent,
called Aaron and Miriam.
When both came forward, he said,
“Now listen to the words of the LORD:
Should there be a prophet among you,
in visions will I reveal myself to him,
in dreams will I speak to him;
not so with my servant Moses!
Throughout my house he bears my trust:
face to face I speak to him;
plainly and not in riddles.
The presence of the LORD he beholds.
Why, then, did you not fear to speak against my servant Moses?”
So angry was the LORD against them that when he departed,
and the cloud withdrew from the tent,
there was Miriam, a snow-white leper!
When Aaron turned and saw her a leper, he said to Moses,
“Ah, my lord! Please do not charge us with the sin
that we have foolishly committed!
Let her not thus be like the stillborn babe
that comes forth from its mother’s womb
with its flesh half consumed.”
Then Moses cried to the LORD, “Please, not this! Pray, heal her!”
51:3-4, 5-6ab, 6cd-7, 12-13
Responsorial Psalm R. (see 3a)
Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
For I acknowledge my offense;
and my sin is before me always:
“Against you only have I sinned;
and done what is evil in your sight.”
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
That you may be justified in your sentence,
vindicated when you condemn.
Indeed, in guilt was I born,
and in sin my mother conceived me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not off from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Gospel
Mt 14:22-36
Jesus made the disciples get into a boat
and precede him to the other side of the sea,
while he dismissed the crowds.
After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
When it was evening he was there alone.
Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,
was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.
During the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them, walking on the sea.
When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.
“It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear.
At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter said to him in reply,
“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come.”
Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.
But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;
and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him,
and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
After they got into the boat, the wind died down.
Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,
“Truly, you are the Son of God.”
After making the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret.
When the men of that place recognized him,
they sent word to all the surrounding country.
People brought to him all those who were sick
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak,
and as many as touched it were healed.
The following text may be substituted,
especially in Year A when the above Gospel is read on Monday.
Mt 15:1-2, 10-14
Some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said,
"Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders?
They do not wash their hands when they eat a meal."
He summoned the crowd and said to them, "Hear and understand.
It is not what enters one's mouth that defiles the man;
but what comes out of the mouth is what defiles one."
Then his disciples approached and said to him,
"Do you know that the Pharisees took offense
when they heard what you said?"
He said in reply, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted
will be uprooted.
Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind.
If a blind man leads a blind man,
both will fall into a pit."
Meditation: Numbers 12:1-13
“Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” (Matthew 14:27)
Miriam must have been surprised that God would be so angry. After all, she was Moses’ sister. She stuck with him when others rebelled or turned to false idols. She had one lapse, one episode of grumbling, and God struck her with leprosy. We may read this passage and shrug it off as another example of the “Old Testament” God of wrath, as opposed to the “New Testament” God of mercy.
But that’s not a very accurate picture of the Bible—or of God, for that matter. There are plenty of passages in the Old Testament that highlight God’s love, compassion, and mercy. Psalm 103 is a classic example. And there are plenty of times in the New Testament when Jesus spoke candidly about God’s judgment and the threat of hell. Just look at Mark 9:42-48. God has always been the same, from beginning to end, and the Bible’s portrayal of God is just as consistent.
From Genesis through Revelation, Scripture speaks with one voice about the seriousness of sin and about the mercy and love of God. On virtually every page, it warns us to be on guard against sin and to know that God does forgive us when we do fall.
The challenge for us lies in finding the right balance between a reverent fear of God and a confidence in his love and salvation. Too much focus on God’s punishment can make us fretful about every possible misstep. But too much focus on his mercy can make us passive instead of vigilant against temptation.
So how can we find the right balance? First, we can fix our eyes on Jesus. Second, we can scour Scripture every day and ask the Spirit to show us how just and merciful God is. And third, we can spend time reading the lives of the saints and studying the teachings of the church. We have a living God who loves to teach us! We also have two thousand years of history behind us—the witness of countless people who can show us the way. If it were a matter of coming up with our own sense of balance, we would be lost. Thank God he has not left us alone!
“Thank you, Jesus, for loving me and for saving me from condemnation. Lord, keep me centered on you so that I can please you in every way.”
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