Daily Readings - Wed Aug 09 2017

First Reading - Numbers 13.1-2, 25-33; 14.1-2b, 26-29, 34-35

¹And there, the Lord spoke to Moses, saying²"Send men, who may examine the land of Canaan, which I will give to the sons of Israel, one from the rulers of each tribe.²⁵And those exploring the land returned after forty days, having circulated through the entire region²⁶And they went to Moses and Aaron, and to the entire assembly of the sons of Israel in the desert of Paran, which is in Kadesh. And speaking to them, and to the entire multitude, they showed them the fruits of the land²⁷And they explained, saying: "We went into the land, to which you sent us, which, it is true, flows with milk and honey, as one can know by these fruits²⁸But it has very strong occupants, and the cities are great and also walled. We saw the race of Anak there²⁹Amalek lives in the south. The Hethite, and the Jebusite, and the Amorite live in the mountains. And truly, the Canaanite stays near the sea and around the streams of the Jordan.³⁰During these events, Caleb, to restrain the murmuring of the people who rose up against Moses, said, "Let us ascend and possess the land, for we will be able to obtain it.³¹Yet truly, the others, who had been with him, were saying, "By no means are we able to ascend to this people, because they are stronger than we are.³²And before the sons of Israel they disparaged the land, which they had inspected, saying: "The land, which we viewed, devours its inhabitants. The people, upon whom we gazed, were of lofty stature³³There, we saw some monsters among the sons of Anak, of the race of giants; by comparison with them, we seemed like locusts.

Chapter 14

¹And so, crying out, the entire crowd wept throughout that night²And all the sons of Israel were murmuring against Moses and Aaron, saying²⁶And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying²⁷"How long will this very wicked multitude murmur against me? I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel²⁸Therefore, say to them: As I live, says the Lord, as you spoke in my hearing, so will I do to you²⁹In the wilderness, here shall your carcasses lie. All you who were numbered from twenty years and above, and who have murmured against me³⁴According to the number of the forty days, during which you examined the land, one year shall be charged for each day. And so, for forty years you shall take back your iniquities, and you shall know my retribution³⁵For just as I have spoken, so shall I do, to this entire most wicked multitude, which has risen up together against me. In the wilderness, here shall it fade away and die.

Gospel - Matthew 15.21-28

Matthew

Chapter 15

²¹And departing from there, Jesus withdrew into the areas of Tyre and Sidon²²And behold, a woman of Canaan, going out from those parts, cried out, saying to him: "Take pity on me, Lord, Son of David. My daughter is badly afflicted by a demon.²³He did not say a word to her. And his disciples, drawing near, petitioned him, saying: "Dismiss her, for she is crying out after us.²⁴And responding, he said, "I was not sent except to the sheep who have fallen away from the house of Israel.²⁵But she approached and adored him, saying, "Lord, help me.²⁶And responding, he said, "It is not good to take the bread of the children and cast it to the dogs.²⁷But she said, "Yes, Lord, but the young dogs also eat from the crumbs that fall from the table of their masters.²⁸Then Jesus, responding, said to her: "O woman, great is your faith. Let it be done for you just as you wish." And her daughter was healed from that very hour

Sermon

In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful lessons on faith and trust in God. The first reading from Numbers recounts the story of the Israelites as they stand at the threshold of the Promised Land. Moses sends spies to explore Canaan, and while the land is indeed fertile and abundant, the majority of the spies are overwhelmed by fear. They focus on the strength of the inhabitants and the size of the cities, convincing the people that the task of conquering the land is impossible. This lack of faith leads to rebellion against Moses and Aaron, and ultimately, the Lord’s judgment: the generation that refused to trust in His promise would wander the wilderness for forty years, never entering the land. In contrast, the Gospel from Matthew presents a woman of great faith, a Canaanite who approaches Jesus with persistence and humility. Though initially rebuffed, she refuses to give up, even when Jesus seems to dismiss her by comparing her to a dog. Instead, she seizes on His words, acknowledging the truth of His statement but also trusting in His mercy. Her faith is rewarded when Jesus heals her daughter, commending her for her perseverance and trust. These readings remind us that faith is not about having all the answers or being free from fear, but about trusting in God’s promises even when the path ahead seems uncertain. The Israelites in the wilderness allowed their fear to overshadow God’s covenant, while the Canaanite woman let her faith overcome every obstacle. In our own lives, we face moments of doubt and fear, but the Lord invites us to step out in trust, knowing that He is always with us. Let us ask for the grace to imitate the Canaanite woman’s perseverance and faith, that we might see God’s wonders in our own lives.