When I was young, I recall the warmth of the sun, And the gentle breeze as if echoing goodwill. I did not know it then, but now I do for sure.
Presence, carrying me, instilling love and hope. Peace, keeping me steady, ready for Your wisdom. The joy of knowing You, or thinking that I do, Helps my unbelief, turning doubt into a prayer.
The times, they may seem dark, and danger lurks about. Yet, Grace, I remember, and carry in my heart, The blessing like no other, the gift that Thou art.
The Lord is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth. – Psalm 145:18
And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, and has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever.”– Luke 1:46-55
The verses above are referred to as the Magnificat a.k.a. the Canticle of Mary. Having traveled to the home of Elizabeth and Zechariah, being received with such joy and as “the mother of my Lord” by her pregnant relative, and, at the sound of her voice, also by the baby in her womb, Mary is given the gift of confirmation of what the angel, Gabriel, had revealed to her:
But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” – Luke 1:35-37
In Mary’s response, we see words of praise and declarations of the goodness of God. Imagine what it was like to be present at that moment?
Now, think of a time when your heart was overflowing with gratitude. What was going on and how did you respond?
As you continue to reflect and pray, in what ways have you, or can you continue to be inspired by this deeply felt experience of gratitude?
Turning to the Gospel for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Matthew 15:21-28, we have the Canaanite woman turning to Jesus, pleading for help her daughter who is not well. At the beginning of St. Luke’s account of Mary’s visit to Elizabeth (the Gospel for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary), it is written:
During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. – Luke 1:39-40
In contrast, at the beginning of this Sunday’s Gospel, it is written:
Then Jesus went from that place and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.” – Matthew 15:21-22
Also, make note of the following:
Mary’s actions follow the Annunciation, where the Angel Gabriel is sent to her and she responds with a yes to God’s will for her.
Jesus’s actions follow an encounter with (or interrogation by) the pharisees and scribes about his disciples not following “the tradition of the elders” and in which he speaks of God’s will when he says to them:
“Hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy about you when he said: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.’” – Matthew 15:7-9
Take some time to consider what leads to or precedes your moments of “setting out” and “withdrawing” and where, or how, the will of God comes into play.
Returning to the Gospel and the Canaanite woman, it is written:
But Jesus did not say a word in answer to her. Jesus’ disciples came and asked him, “Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.” He said in reply, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But the woman came and did Jesus homage, saying, “Lord, help me.” He said in reply, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” Then Jesus said to her in reply, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And the woman’s daughter was healed from that hour. – Matthew 15:23-28
Take what you find most interesting about the responses/reactions of the Canaanite woman, the disciples, and Jesus and consider it from a traditional, cultural, “matter of fact, right/wrong, true/false” perspective. What do you notice?
Now take what you noticed and apply “the God of the Magnificat” (the God of mercy, strength, compassion, help, healing, fulfillment, covenant) perspective to it. What happens?
Pray with what you’re noticing at this moment and ask the Lord for insight, wisdom, and inspiration that you may carry into the coming days. How might your faith become more deeply magnificent?
What grace does the Lord want to bestow upon you?
Thus says the Lord: Observe what is right, do what is just; for my salvation is about to come, my justice, about to be revealed. The foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, ministering to him, loving the name of the Lord, and becoming his servants— all who keep the sabbath free from profanation and hold to my covenant, them I will bring to my holy mountain and make joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be acceptable on my altar, for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. – Isaiah 56:1, 6-7
Through the waves of dissonance, steady and in great calmness, Truth works its way to the front, making known what was hidden, replacing what’s distorted, shining light on what’s debased, transforming what’s been disturbed, renewing all purpose and bringing a meaningful state.
The Spirit of truth will testify to me, says the Lord; and you also will testify. – John 15:26b, 27a
In the Gospel passage for the Foruth Sunday of Easter (John 10:1-10) it is written:
Jesus said: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber. But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice. But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.” Although Jesus used this figure of speech, the Pharisees did not realize what he was trying to tell them.
So Jesus said again, “Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”
The thief and robber, thinking themself clever, sneaks their way in. They side-step or going over or around the gate, and sometimes even appear to be the gatekeeper. However, Jesus says, though they may get in, they are still a thief and robber, and the sheep will not be fooled by them.
How do you invite the Lord, the Good Shepherd, to help you discern the differences between His voice and that of the stranger who robs and steals?
Take some time to contemplate a situation that might be weighing you down? What might there be that is being robbed or stolen from you when it comes to this? Pray to the Lord for insight and wisdom so that His voice can be stronger or more clear, having greater influence on you and your response to the situation.
In what ways does the Lord want you to have life more abundantly?
The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. – Psalm 23:1
You will show me the path to life, abounding joy in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever. – Psalm 16:11
Thinking over the past week, reflect on the path(s) you traveled as you went from place to place or activity to activity. Try to recall what you were thinking and feeling as you moved from one thing to another. Overall, as you went along each day, what sentiments did you carry with you? To what did you hold onto and of what did you let go?
Take some time to converse with the Lord about what you felt grateful for and what you struggled with or disliked during the week, and what it is like now as you think back on it. What strikes you most? As you share, allow time to listen to what strikes the Lord most about your week. What does the Lord want you to know? How might you draw both peace and strength, joy and reverence from this past week?
Continuing with paths along one’s journey, imagine yourself on the road to Emmaus as you read the Gospel for the Third Sunday of Easter.
That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus’ disciples were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred. And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. He asked them, “What are you discussing as you walk along?” They stopped, looking downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?” And he replied to them, “What sort of things?” They said to him, “The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him. But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel; and besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place. Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body; they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive. Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described, but him they did not see.” And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the Scriptures. As they approached the village to which they were going, he gave the impression that he was going on farther. But they urged him, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?” So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the eleven and those with them who were saying, “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!” Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread. – Luke 24:13-35
What insight or wisdom does the Lord want to impart to you at this moment? And how might it inspire you to be a greater reflection of God’s love and mercy as you journey on?
Today is the Second Sunday of Easter, or in the Catholic Church, Divine Mercy Sunday, as it was designated in the year 2000 by Pope John Paul II. When you think of mercy, what does it look like? What characteristics come to mind?
On the night that Jesus was arrested, he said to the disciples gathered around the table,
“This night all of you will have your faith in me shaken, for it is written: ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be dispersed’; but after I have been raised up, I shall go before you to Galilee.” – Matthew 26:31-32
In today’s Gospel (John 20:19-31), the disciples, although afraid from all that transpired and what it might mean for them, have reconnected and come back together. They did not allow what might be labeled as their failures (e.g. fleeing the scene, Peter’s denials) to override the example of Jesus and to tear them apart. Instead, they chose to embrace what was instilled in them by the grace of God and imparted to them by the mercy of God, extending both to each other.
Rather than looking to place blame or find fault with each other and giving rise to in-fighting and division, the disciples, still afraid and likely unsure, gathered together, and in their unity, Jesus appears to them, not upset at them for scattering or holding a grudge, but wishing them peace and extending grace to them.
Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” – John 20:19-23
How do Jesus’s words above speak to you today? Share with Jesus what’s in your heart and on your mind as you consider these verses. Ask Jesus for his perspective.
Now, Thomas who was absent when Jesus appeared to the disciples doesn’t believe what is reported to him by the disciples who were there. Or, perhaps the thing that Thomas doesn’t believe without seeing for himself, is not the words of his fellow disciples, but the words of the Lord.
In other words, maybe the point is not that Thomas was expected to blindly take the words of his fellow disciples as truth, but rather that Thomas’s faith was so shaken by the experience of the crucifixion that it led him to some level of mistrust in the words that Jesus had spoken before his death.
Next, consider Jesus’s response. True to His nature, Jesus, again, doesn’t hold a grudge and doesn’t lose faith in Thomas, but as always, responds with understanding. In his mercy, Jesus appears again to the disciples at a time when Thomas is present. Jesus gives Thomas what he needs in order to be strengthened in his fatih, and at a time when he is able to best receive it.
Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” – John 20:24-29
What do you imagine the week between being told about Jesus’s appearance and his reappearance was like for Thomas? What might the week between the two appearances have been like for the rest of the disciples?
Reflect on your experience of moments of uncertainty or times when your faith has been shaken. What was it like? And how did you face it? In what ways was Jesus present to you, and how might you need that same presence today?
Now, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name. – John 20:30-31
In his poem, The Universal Prayer, Alexander Pope wrote, “Teach me to feel another’s woe, to hide the fault I see, that mercy I to others show, that mercy show to me.” How has your heart been touched by mercy? And how you have extended mercy to others?
The Universal Prayer by Alexander Pope Father of all! In every age, In every clime adored, By saint, by savage, and by sage, Jehovah, Jove, or Lord! Thou great First Cause, least understood! Who all my sense confined To know but this, that thou art good, And that myself am blind; Yet gave me, in this dark estate, To see the good from ill; And binding nature fast in fate, Left free the human will. What conscience dictates to be done, Or warns me not to do, This, teach me more than hell to shun, That, more than heaven pursue. What blessings thy free bounty gives, Let me not cast away; For God is paid when man receives, To enjoy is to obey. Yet not to earth’s contracted span Thy goodness let me bound, Or think thee Lord alone of man, When thousand worlds are round: Let not this weak, unknowing hand Presume thy bolts to throw, And deal damnation round the land On each I judge thy foe. If I am right, thy grace impart Still in the right to stay; If I am wrong, oh teach my heart To find that better way. Save me alike from foolish pride, Or impious discontent, At aught thy wisdom has denied, Or aught thy goodness lent. Teach me to feel another’s woe, To hide the fault I see; That mercy I to others show, That mercy show to me. Mean though I am, not wholly so, Since quickened by thy breath; Oh lead me whereso’er I go, Through this day’s life or death. This day be bread and peace my lot: All else beneath the sun, Thou know’st if best bestowed or not; And let thy will be done. To thee, whose temple is all space, Whose altar, earth, sea, skies, One chorus let all being raise; All nature’s incense rise!
The crowd, big, unwavering for a time, swept up in adoration, praise, and joy, not really knowing what was drawing them, but nonetheless giving in to that voice.
In one direction, was how they began, but then it changed, like all shifty things do, with smoke and mirrors and numerous tricks, yet still losing wit—a tangled up mess.
The ruler we’re told, unnerved at their choice, a frustrating thing, as well as unheard, it is what it is, and how it will be, people are who they are, until they’re free.
Judging this, judging that, unable to see by the light in “their” way. It’s only one Way, The truth pushing through, will not be denied, faithful, steady, honor instead of praise.
Jesus, from beginning to end, having been stripped, beaten, taunted and jeered, no finger pointed or person damned, nor any call for revenge. Lord, may your example be the one we hold above all.
Approaching the Fifth Sunday of Lent, take a moment to consider the past few weeks and the times you have felt closest to the Lord as well as those times you have felt distanced. Of the situations that come to mind, what jumps out the most in terms of the characteristics of the Lord that you experienced and the ones that, in hindsight, you may have been seeking without knowing it at the time? Take what you notice to prayer, trusting that although the time has passed, conversation with the Lord can still bear fruit, providing insight, wisdom, and whatever else you may need at this moment, and going forward.
As you prepare to consider the readings for this Sunday, invite the Lord to continue the conversation and time together.
In the First Reading from Ezekiel 37:12-14, we have the ending verses of a section referred to as “Vision of the Dry Bones”. The passage is a conversation between the prophet and the Lord where the dry bones are likened to the loss of hope in the Lord, and Ezekiel is instructed as to what he is to tell to the people. As Ezekiel follows each of the Lord’s directives, the vision moves toward the bones being restored to life.
The directives to the dry bones spoken by the prophet are in Word:
“Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!” (v. 4);
and Spirit:
“Listen! I will make breath enter you so you may come to life.” (v. 5).
The dry bones come to life and the Lord says to Ezekiel: “They are saying, ‘Our bones are dried up, our hope is lost, and we are cut off.’” (v.11)
This is where the First Reading starts. The Lord further instructs Ezekiel, giving him the words to address the need for restoration/renewal, hope, and connection.
Among the words of the Lord, in these verses, to be prophesied are:
“I will put my spirit in you that you may come to life, and I will settle you in your land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord. I have spoken; I will do it” (v. 14)
How are your mind and your heart touched by the words and imagery in this passage? Share what you think and feel at this moment with the Lord. Ask the Lord for openness to receiving his insights about restoration, renewal, hope, and/or connection in your life, your community, and the world at large.
Continuing to stay with the conversation, consider the response to the Psalm, “With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.” (Psalm 130:7). What are a few ways that you have received the Lord’s mercy and a sense of redemption? How do you feel as you recall those times? In what ways might they instill greater hope in you or inspire you today?
In the Second Reading (Romans 8:8-11), part of what St. Paul writes to the Romans is:
“But you are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is alive because of righteousness.” – v. 9-10
How do you desire for the Spirit of God, that dwells in you, to be with you and to help you to not only hold onto and connect to, but to also be energized by and to be a reflection of the Lord’s mercy, hope, and inspiration? Share with the Lord whatever is in your heart at this time. Also, take time to allow the Lord to reveal what’s on his heart.
The following verses are an excerpt from the Gospel Reading (John 11:1-45):
Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to him, “Lord, by now there will be a stench; he has been dead for four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus raised his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me; but because of the crowd here I have said this, that they may believe that you sent me.” And when he had said this, He cried out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. So Jesus said to them, “Untie him and let him go.” Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what he had done began to believe in him. – John 11:39-44
Contemplating this passage in the light of your prayers, conversation with the Lord, and what you noticed from the prior readings above, what is the stone that Jesus wants to take away? In what ways might Jesus want you to “untie” and “let go”?
As you pray with this, ask for openness to the Lord’s guidance and for whatever you feel you need to hear the Word of God, to listen, and to receive the Spirit of God. What does the Lord desire for you so that the goodness that dwells within you, continues to sustain you, your hope in the Lord, and extends to others.
I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? – John 11:25-26
As we reach Laetare (“rejoice”) Sunday, the thought of rejoicing during a time of such unrest, outright war, and great concern throughout the world can seem so far away and of another world. However, isn’t that part of what faith is all about? Trusting that there is something more. Placing our hope in the One who hears our cries, lifts us up, and gives us guidance and strength as we strive for eternal life. Rejoicing in the Lord who, without fail, is with us.
Take some time to think about what you’re grateful for and to remember the ways in which you have been blessed by the Lord. Then, inspired by the Lord’s faithfulness, pray for whatever enters your mind and heart, knowing that you are praying to the Lord for whom nothing is impossible.
Continuing on, be mindful of the Lord who is ever present and loves us unconditionally as we look at the readings for the Fourth Sunday of Lent.
In the First Reading (1 Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a), the Lord sends Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint David king. When Samuel arrives in Bethlehem all he knows is that one of Jesse’s sons is to be anointed and that the Lord will help him to know which one. As soon as Samuel sees the first son, Eliab, he assumes this is the one to be anointed. However, Eliab is not the one.
“But the Lord said to Samuel: Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. God does not see as a mortal, who sees the appearance. The Lord looks into the heart.” – v. 7
What have you been holding in your heart this past week? What about today? What do you imagine is on God’s heart?
As the reading continues, the remaining sons of Jesse are then presented to Samuel, but none of them are the one that he was sent to anoint. This leads Samuel to ask Jesse if he has any other sons. Jesse reveals that there is another son and then sends for David, his youngest, at Samuel’s instruction. Sure enough, David is the one whom the Lord has chosen.
At first sight, Samuel was certain that Eliab had to be the one the Lord had chosen. Yet, in the end, the son the Lord had chosen wasn’t present and had to be sent for. Imagine how unexpected going through the seven sons who were present and not being told, “this is the one,” must have been for Samuel. What do you think led him to ask Jesse if he had any other sons?
What kinds of things do you notice at first sight? How do you experience the unexpected? In what ways do you sense or seek the Lord’s presence in what you notice? In the unexpected?
The Psalm for Laetare Sunday is the following:
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. In verdant pastures he gives me repose; beside restful waters he leads me; he refreshes my soul. He guides me in right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side With your rod and your staff that give me courage. You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for years to come. – Psalm 23: 1-6
Reflecting on the characteristics of the Lord that are expressed in the Psalm, in what way do you most need the Lord to shepherd you today?
Turning to the Second Reading, it is written:
You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth. Try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the fruitless works of darkness; rather expose them, for it is shameful even to mention the things done by them in secret; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore, it says: “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” – Ephesians 5:8-14
Allow yourself to envision being enveloped in the light of the Lord. As you take in the goodness of the Lord, your heart becomes full of peace, love, and hope. How do you desire to respond? How does the Lord envision you as an extension of God’s peace, love, and hope?
The Gospel passage is John 9:1-41, The Man Born Blind. Read this passage from your Bible.
What part(s) of this passage resonated with you most? What part(s) surprised you or struck you differently than in the past? How does what you noticed or what’s being stirred within you relate to what’s in your heart and what’s weighing on your heart?
What insight does the Lord want to share with you so that you are better able to consider what’s beyond visible and to see more and more with the eyes of your God-given heart?
I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life. – John 8:12
The readings for the Third Sunday of Lent can be seen as an invitation to pray and reflect on our encounters with God and others, the conversations that arise during them as well as after, and how we determine what we hold onto and listen to.
After the prophet Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt and into the wilderness, they started to become disgruntled. God provided food for them in the form of quail and manna, however, as the days passed their unhappiness grew as they still did not know what was next and where they would end up. Their existence became a grind and a growing number of the people began to feel like maybe they would have been better off not following Moses; perhaps their current situation was worse than being enslaved in Egypt.
The First Reading (Exodus 17:3-7) has Moses receiving complaints and being well aware of the growing displeasure among the people. He’s in a “What now?” moment.
So Moses cried out to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? a little more and they will stone me!” – v. 4
What strikes you most from the verse above? What are your conversations with God like during your “What now?” moments?
In the following verse, the Lord responds to Moses and tells him what to do. What do you notice about the Lord’s answer?
“Go over there in front of the people, along with some of the elders of Israel, holding in your hand, as you go, the staff with which you struck the river. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock in Horeb. Strike the rock, and the water will flow from it for the people to drink.” – v. 5-6
In what ways do you trust God to provide for you and others during challenging times? How about during less difficult times?
Recall a time when you cried out to God, and God provided for both you and others.
The First Reading ends with:
The place was called Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled there and tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord in our midst or not?” – v. 7
What do you make of the people quarreling? How do you imagine something like that could impact a sense of trust in the community? And in God?
The response for the Psalm is:
“If today you hear God’s voice, harden not your hearts.” – Ps 95:8.
Again, thinking about your conversations with God, what level of transparency do they reflect? Are there areas where you may be holding back, or you feel like God is? Take some prayer time to express your thoughts and feelings on this and to allow room for God’s insight to be shared with you.
The Second Reading (Romans 5:1-2, 5-8), begins with: “Brothers and sisters:”
If you were to use this greeting, who would be included as brothers and sisters?
This letter to the Romans continues:
Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in hope of the glory of God.
Have there been times when you have felt justified by faith? What made you feel that way or what were the signs? And what was it like?
The passage is completed with the following verses:
And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For Christ, while we were still helpless, died at the appointed time for the ungodly. Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.
How has God’s love been poured out into your heart? What has the impact been? And how do your choices reflect that love to God, yourself, and to others?
In the Gospel Reading (John 4:5-42), we read about Jesus, a Jew, and the woman at the well, a Samaritan. Each comes from a line of people who normally steer clear of each other. Thinking about this atypical exchange back then and life today, how do you desire to respond to the “atypical”?
Next, consider Jesus’s words around water and food, things that last a limited amount of time before one needs to acquire more, as an invitation to look more closely at what’s been on your plate and the concerns you are carrying. As you do so, contemplate what you are seeking and from where you are seeking it.
What does the Lord want to reveal to you?
Lord, you are truly the Savior of the world; give me living water, that I may never thirst again. – John 4:42, 15
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