August 5, 2025
Tuesday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 408
Reading I
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!”
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm
51:3-4, 5-6ab, 6cd-7, 12-13
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.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Rabbi, you are the Son of God;
you are the King of Israel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
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:
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.”
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/080525.cfm
Commentary on
Numbers 12:1-13
Not only do the people complain, but Aaron and Miriam, the
brother and sister of Moses, are also grumbling against their brother.
Ostensibly their complaint was that Moses had married a Cushite woman. This
seems to be Zipporah, the daughter of Jethro and a Midianite, whom Moses
married when he was in hiding for killing a man prior to his becoming leader of
his people (see Exod 2:21). There is an element of contempt in the expression.
However, it seems their real grievance was that God spoke
not only through Moses, but also through them. The prophet Micah speaks of
Moses, Aaron and Miriam as God’s gracious provision for Israel (Micah 6:4). Yet
they were not given the treatment they felt they deserved, the kind of
treatment that Moses was getting from God. Miriam appears as the chief
complainer and Aaron simply goes along with her, so she alone will be punished.
In spite of the favours God showered on him, Moses himself
is described as being the meekest man on earth (though he could, when need be,
speak in very harsh language to wrongdoers). The complaint thrown against him
could not be attributed to any arrogance on his part.
So God (how human he appears in all these accounts!)
overhears their murmurings and summons all three to the Tent of Meeting. He
comes down in a pillar of cloud, stands at the entrance to the Tent and calls
Aaron and Miriam to come forward.
God makes his meaning very clear to them. He makes a
distinction between other prophets and Moses (Miriam herself was a prophetess).
God communicates with prophets through visions and dreams, but only Moses is at
home in God’s house and God speaks to him face to face, plainly and not in
riddles and Moses sees the very form of Yahweh.
With other prophets and seers, God’s revelation did not
always come to them with complete clarity. A prophet might not fully understand
the oracles he uttered, and they might seem to be riddles and mysteries. But,
in Moses’ case, God spoke with special clarity—like two people speaking face to
face. Clearly this was a privilege granted to no other human being.
By way of exception, some others would be given a share in
the divine spirit, and God would raise up prophets after Moses’ death, but
Moses will remain the greatest of them all—at least until John the Baptist
comes, the forerunner of the new covenant.
How then could Aaron and Miriam have the temerity to speak
against someone who had such a close relationship with him? So angry was God
with the way Miriam and Aaron criticised God’s special friend that, as soon as
he left and the cloud disappeared, Miriam found herself a leper, her whole body
as white as snow. Actually, it was not strictly speaking leprosy (Hansen’s
disease), but an affliction known as “white leprosy” that is not regarded as
serious or of long duration. However, it had the effect of ostracising her from
the community for some time.
Aaron then begged God that the sin they had foolishly
committed be not held against them. He begged that his sister not be left to
look like a still-born baby:
…whose flesh is half consumed when it comes out of its
mother’s womb.
Moses too, begs God to bring healing to his sister. On this
note the reading ends.
Later, Aaron will pray to God on behalf of his sister. She
will be cured, but not before she spends seven days outside the camp in
quarantine and isolation until her skin returns to normal.
Perhaps today we could look into our own hearts and see if
there are any traces of jealousy there. What or whom are we jealous about and
why? And how do we relate with the people towards whom we feel jealousy or
envy? Can we learn to thank God for the gifts we see in other people?
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Commentary on
Matthew 14:22-36
As soon as the people had been filled with the food that
Jesus gave them, Jesus packs his disciples off in the boat to the other side of
the lake. He sends the crowds away and then retreats to the mountain to pray
all by himself.
We know from John’s account that the people wanted to make
him a king. If Jesus wanted to take control of the crowd, this was the moment;
they were ready to follow enthusiastically. Jesus was indeed their King, but
not the kind they were expecting. He would draw the crowds to him in a very
different way, hanging in shame on a cross.
It looks too as if he did not want his disciples to get any
wrong ideas either. They must have been elated at their role in the
extraordinary event of feeding more than 5,000 people. So, perhaps with a lot
of grumbling, they are sent off even before the excited crowds have dispersed.
As they make their way across the lake in this dark mood,
things get even worse. They run into a big storm and their boat is being tossed
about like a cork. Then, out of the darkness, between 3 and 6 in the morning
hours, they see Jesus approaching them across the water. Far from being
delighted, they are terrified out of their wits. Superstitious men that they
are, they think it is a ghost. Ghosts were very much a part of their world.
Words of encouragement come across the water:
Take heart, it is I [Greek, ego eimi =
I AM]; do not be afraid.
Jesus gives himself the very name of Yahweh; this is all the
reassurance they need. Their God is with them.
Only in Matthew’s account of this story do we have Peter’s
reaction:
Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the
water.
To which, Jesus replies:
Come.
Peter gets out of the boat and goes towards Jesus. It is an
act of love, faith and trust. But not quite enough. The power of the wind and
waves gets stronger than his desire to be with Jesus. He begins to sink.
Lord, save me!
Jesus lifts him up and says:
You of little faith, why did you doubt?
As soon as Jesus and Peter get into the boat, there is a
complete calm.
The rest of the disciples are overwhelmed and bow down
before him saying:
Truly you are the Son of God.
We have here behind this story an image of the early Church,
of which the boat and the disciples are a symbol. The surrounding water is the
world, and the wind and waves are the forces which threaten the tiny community.
Jesus seems to be far away, but he is not, and he appears in the midst of the
storm. Once he steps inside the boat, there is calm, not only because the
surrounding storm has stopped, but also because of the peace which the
awareness of Jesus’ presence gives.
There is an added element in this story in that Peter, the
leader of the community, comes hand in hand into the boat with Jesus. In time,
the authority of Jesus will be passed over to him.
There is also, of course, in the calming of the storm an
indication of Jesus’ real identity, expressed in the awe-filled words of the
disciples, “Truly you are the Son of God”, echoing Jesus’ own statement of “I
AM”.
There is a brief epilogue at the end of our passage. The
boat reaches the area of Gennesaret. The name refers either to the narrow
plain, about four miles long and less than two miles wide on the northwest
shore of the Sea of Galilee, north of Magdala, or a town in the plain.
Significantly for the work that Jesus was about to do, the plain was considered
a garden land, fertile and well-watered.
As soon as Jesus reaches the shore the crowds again gather
in huge numbers especially to have their sick cured. So great was their faith
that they asked only to touch the fringe of his garment. All those who did so
(in faith) were healed.
Jesus had sent away the crowds earlier probably because of
the late hour, but also perhaps because of the mood of the crowd which was
taking on political overtones not wanted by Jesus. But now they are back to
seek from him what he came to give them—healing and wholeness.
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https://livingspace.sacredspace.ie/o1183g/
Tuesday,
August 5, 2025
Ordinary
Time
Opening Prayer
Father of everlasting goodness, our origin
and guide, be close to us and hear the prayers of all who praise you. Forgive
our sins and restore us to life.
Keep us safe in your love.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Gospel Reading - Matthew 14: 22-36
At once
Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side
while he sent the crowds away. After sending the crowds away he went up into
the hills by himself to pray.
When evening came, he was there alone, while the boat, by now some
furlongs from land, was hard pressed by rough waves, for there was a headwind.
In the fourth watch of the night he came towards them, walking on the sea, and
when the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. 'It is a
ghost,' they said, and cried out in fear.
But at once Jesus called out to them,
saying, 'Courage! It's me! Don't be afraid.' It was Peter who answered. 'Lord,'
he said, 'if it is you, tell me to come to you across the water.' Jesus said,
'Come.' Then Peter got out of the boat and started walking towards Jesus across
the water, but then noticing the wind, he took fright and began to sink.
'Lord,' he cried, 'save me!' Jesus put out his hand at once and held him. 'You
have so little faith,' he said, 'why did you doubt?' 32 And as they got into
the boat the wind dropped. 33 The men in the boat bowed down before him and
said, 'Truly, you are the Son of God.'
Having made
the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret. When the local people recognized
him, they spread the news through the whole neighborhood and took all that were
sick to him, begging him just to let them touch the fringe of his cloak. And
all those who touched it were saved.
Reflection
The Gospel today describes the difficult and tiresome crossing
of the sea of Galilee in a fragile boat, pushed by a contrary wind. Between the
discourse of the Parables (Mt 13) and of the Community (Mt 18), there is once
again, the narrative part (Mt 14 to 17). The discourse of the Parables calls
our attention again on the presence of the Kingdom. Now, the narrative part
shows the reactions in favor and against Jesus provoked by that presence. In
Nazareth, he was not accepted (Mt 13: 53-58) and King Herod thought that Jesus
was a sort or reincarnation of John the Baptist, whom he had murdered (Mt 14:
1-12). The poor people, though, recognized in Jesus the one who had been sent
by God and they followed him to the desert, where the multiplication of the
loaves took place (Mt 14: 13-21). After the multiplication of the loaves, Jesus
takes leave of the crowd and ordered the disciples to cross the lake, as it is
described in today’s Gospel (Mt 14: 22-36).
•
Matthew 14: 22-24: To begin the crossing asked
by Jesus. Jesus obliges the Disciples to go into the boat and to go toward the
other side of the sea, where the land of the pagans was. He goes up to the
mountain to pray. The boat symbolizes the community. It has the mission to
direct itself toward the pagans and to announce among them the Good News of the
Kingdom also, which was the new way of living in community. But the crossing
was very tiring and long. The boat is agitated by the wave because the wind is
contrary. Despite having rowed the whole night, there is still a great distance
left before reaching the land. Much was still lacking in the community to be
able to cross and go toward the pagans. Jesus did not go with his disciples.
They had to learn to face together the difficulties, united and strengthened by
faith in Jesus who had sent them. The contrast is very great: Jesus is in peace
together with God, praying on the top of the mountain, and the Disciples are
almost lost there below, in the agitated sea.
•
The crossing to the other side of the lake also
symbolizes the difficult crossing of the community at the end of the first century.
They should get out of the closed world of the ancient observance of the law
toward the new manner of observing the Law of love., taught by Jesus; they
should abandon the knowledge of belonging to the Chosen People, privileged by
God among all other peoples, for the certainty that in Christ all peoples would
be united into one Only People before God; they should get out from isolation
and intolerance toward the open world of acceptance and of gratitude. Today
also, we are going through a difficult crossing toward a new time and a new way
of being Church. A difficult crossing, but which is necessary. There are
moments in life in which we are attacked by fear. Good will is not lacking, but
this is not sufficient. We are like a boat faced with the contrary wind.
•
Matthew 14: 25-27: Jesus comes close to them but
they do not recognize him. Toward the end of the night, that is between three
and six o’clock in the morning, Jesus goes to meet the Disciples. Walking on
the water, he gets close to them, but they did not recognize him. They cried
out in fear, thinking that it was a ghost. Jesus calms them down saying:
“Courage! It is me! Do not be afraid!” The expression “It is me!” is the same
one with which God tried to overcome the fear of Moses when he sent him to
liberate the people from
Egypt
(Ex 3: 14). For the communities, of today as well as for those of yesterday,
it was and it is very important to be
always open to novelty: “Courage. It is me!. Do not be afraid!”
•
Matthew 14: 28-31: Enthusiasm and weakness of
Peter. Knowing that it is Jesus, Peter asks that he also can walk on the water.
He wants to experience the power which dominates the fury of the sea. This is a
power which in the bible belongs only to God (Gen 1: 6; Ps 104: 6-9). Jesus
allows him to participate in this power. But Peter is afraid. He thinks that he
will sink and he cries out: “Lord, save me!” Jesus assures him and takes hold of
him and reproaches him: “You have so little faith! Why did you doubt?” Peter
has more strength than he imagined, but is afraid before the contrary waves and
does not believe in the power of God which dwells within him. The communities
do not believe in the force of the Spirit which is within them and which acts
through faith. It is the force of the Resurrection (Eph 1: 19-20).
•
Matthew 14: 32-33: Jesus is the Son of God.
Before the waves that come toward them, Peter begins to sink in the sea because
of lack of faith. After he is saved, he and Jesus, both of them, go into the
boat and the wind calms down. The other Disciples, who are in the boat, are
astonished and bowed before Jesus, recognizing that he is the Son of God:
“Truly, you are the Son of God.” Later, Peter also professes the same faith in
Jesus: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” (Mt 16: 16). In this
way Matthew suggests that it is not only Peter who sustains the faith of the
Disciples, but also that the faith of the Disciples sustains Peter’s faith.
•
Matthew 14: 34-36: They brought all the sick to
him. The episode of the crossing ends with something beautiful: “Having made
the crossing they came to Gennesaret. When the local people recognized him they
spread the news through the whole neighborhood and took all who were sick to
him, begging him just to let them tough the fringe of his cloak. And all those
who touched it were saved.”
Personal Questions
•
Has there been a contrary wind in your life?
What have you done to overcome it? Has this happened sometimes in the
community? How was it overcome?
•
Which is the crossing which the communities are
doing today? From where to where? How does all this help us to recognize today
the presence of Jesus in the contrary waves of life?
Concluding Prayer
Keep me far from the way of deceit, grant me the grace of your
Law.
I have chosen the way of constancy,
I have molded myself to your judgements. (Ps 119: 29-30)
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