Hope and Testing

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today encourage us to act in faith and dialogue with the people at our well about a fulfilling life.

The Living Water

The Reading from the Book of Exodus presents Water from the Rock

* [17:7] Massah…Meribah: Hebrew words meaning, respectively, “the place of the test” and “the place of strife, of quarreling.” (Exodus, CHAPTER 17 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 95 calls the people to praise and worship God

* [Psalm 95] Twice the Psalm calls the people to praise and worship God (Ps 95:1–2, 6), the king of all creatures (Ps 95:3–5) and shepherd of the flock (Ps 95:7a, 7b). The last strophe warns the people to be more faithful than were their ancestors in the journey to the promised land (Ps 95:7c–11). This invitation to praise God regularly opens the Church’s official prayer, the Liturgy of the Hours. (Psalms, PSALM 95 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans proclaims Faith, Hope, and Love

* [5:1–11] Popular piety frequently construed reverses and troubles as punishment for sin; cf. Jn 9:2. Paul therefore assures believers that God’s justifying action in Jesus Christ is a declaration of peace. The crucifixion of Jesus Christ displays God’s initiative in certifying humanity for unimpeded access into the divine presence. Reconciliation is God’s gift of pardon to the entire human race. Through faith one benefits personally from this pardon or, in Paul’s term, is justified. The ultimate aim of God is to liberate believers from the pre-Christian self as described in Rom 1–3. Since this liberation will first find completion in the believer’s resurrection, salvation is described as future in Rom 5:10. Because this fullness of salvation belongs to the future it is called the Christian hope. Paul’s Greek term for hope does not, however, suggest a note of uncertainty, to the effect: “I wonder whether God really means it.” Rather, God’s promise in the gospel fills believers with expectation and anticipation for the climactic gift of unalloyed commitment in the holy Spirit to the performance of the will of God. The persecutions that attend Christian commitment are to teach believers patience and to strengthen this hope, which will not disappoint them because the holy Spirit dwells in their hearts and imbues them with God’s love (Rom 5:5). (Romans, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of John presents Jesus encounter with The Samaritan Woman.

* [4:4] He had to: a theological necessity; geographically, Jews often bypassed Samaria by taking a route across the Jordan.

* [4:5] Sychar: Jerome identifies this with Shechem, a reading found in Syriac manuscripts.

* [4:9] Samaritan women were regarded by Jews as ritually impure, and therefore Jews were forbidden to drink from any vessel they had handled.

* [4:10] Living water: the water of life, i.e., the revelation that Jesus brings; the woman thinks of “flowing water,” so much more desirable than stagnant cistern water. On John’s device of such misunderstanding, cf. note on Jn 3:3.

* [4:11] Sir: the Greek kyrios means “master” or “lord,” as a respectful mode of address for a human being or a deity; cf. Jn 4:19. It is also the word used in the Septuagint for the Hebrew ’adônai, substituted for the tetragrammaton YHWH.

* [4:20] This mountain: Gerizim, on which a temple was erected in the fourth century B.C. by Samaritans to rival Mount Zion in Jerusalem; cf. Dt 27:4 (Mount Ebal = the Jews’ term for Gerizim).

* [4:23] In Spirit and truth: not a reference to an interior worship within one’s own spirit. The Spirit is the spirit given by God that reveals truth and enables one to worship God appropriately (Jn 14:16–17). Cf. “born of water and Spirit” (Jn 3:5).

* [4:25] The expectations of the Samaritans are expressed here in Jewish terminology. They did not expect a messianic king of the house of David but a prophet like Moses (Dt 18:15).

* [4:26] I am he: it could also be translated “I am,” an Old Testament self-designation of Yahweh (Is 43:3, etc.); cf. Jn 6:20; 8:24, 28, 58; 13:19; 18:5–6, 8. See note on Mk 6:50.

* [4:27] Talking with a woman: a religious and social restriction that Jesus is pictured treating as unimportant.

* [4:35] ‘In four months… ’: probably a proverb; cf. Mt 9:37–38.

* [4:36] Already: this word may go with the preceding verse rather than with Jn 4:36.

* [4:39] The woman is presented as a missionary, described in virtually the same words as the disciples are in Jesus’ prayer (Jn 17:20). (John, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB, n.d.)

Rev. Larry Gillick, SJ comments on the Readings today.

A Spring of Water Welling up to Eternal Life

Don Schwager quotes “The Living Water of the Spirit,” by John Chrysostom, 347-407 AD.

Sometimes Scripture calls the grace of the Spirit "fire," other times it calls it "water." In this way, it shows that these names are not descriptive of its essence but of its operation. For the Spirit, which is invisible and simple, cannot be made up of different substances... In the same way that he calls the Spirit by the name of "fire," alluding to the rousing and warming property of grace and its power of destroying sins, he calls it "water" in order to highlight the cleansing it does and the great refreshment it provides those minds that receive it. For it makes the willing soul like a kind of garden, thick with all kinds of fruitful and productive trees, allowing it neither to feel despondency nor the plots of Satan. It quenches all the fiery darts of the wicked one. (HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 32.1) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the readings today.

The Word Among Us Meditation is on Exodus 17:3-7.

An Illusion of Separateness

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, explores a broad definition of the word “sin”:

We seek the Wisdom and Calm of the Spirit to engage the people on our journey about our “living water” that is our faith in Christ.

References

Exodus, CHAPTER 17 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 8, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/exodus/17?3 

John, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 8, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/4?5 

Psalms, PSALM 95 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 8, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/95?1 

Romans, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 8, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/romans/5?1 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). A Spring of Water Welling up to Eternal Life. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved March 8, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Justice and Community

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to consider the role of “two or more” gathering to address administration of justice in our Christian community.

Compassion and Justice

The Reading from Deuteronomy declares the Israelites wept for Moses.

a. [34:1] Dt 3:27; 32:49.

b. [34:2] Dt 11:24.

c. [34:4] Dt 1:8; 3:27; 32:52; Gn 12:7; 15:18–21.

d. [34:5] Dt 32:50; Ex 14:31; Nm 12:7–8; Jos 1:1–2, 7, 13, 15; 1 Kgs 8:53, 56; Mal 3:22.

e. [34:6] Dt 3:29.

f. [34:7] Dt 31:2.

g. [34:9] Nm 27:18–23; Jos 1:17.

h. [34:10] Dt 5:4; 18:15; Ex 33:11; Nm 12:8; Sir 45:5.

i. [34:11–12] Dt 4:34; Ex 4:21; 7:1, 8–12. (Deuteronomy, CHAPTER 34 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 66 praises God for powerful acts for Israel.

* [Psalm 66] In the first part (Ps 66:1–12), the community praises God for powerful acts for Israel, both in the past (the exodus from Egypt and the entry into the land [Ps 66:6]) and in the present (deliverance from a recent but unspecified calamity [Ps 66:8–12]). In the second part (Ps 66:13–20), an individual from the rescued community fulfills a vow to offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving. As often in thanksgivings, the rescued person steps forward to teach the community what God has done (Ps 66:16–20). (Psalms, PSALM 66 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Matthew addresses the response to a brother who sins.

* [18:15–20] Passing from the duty of Christian disciples toward those who have strayed from their number, the discourse now turns to how they are to deal with one who sins and yet remains within the community. First there is to be private correction (Mt 18:15); if this is unsuccessful, further correction before two or three witnesses (Mt 18:16); if this fails, the matter is to be brought before the assembled community (the church), and if the sinner refuses to attend to the correction of the church, he is to be expelled (Mt 18:17). The church’s judgment will be ratified in heaven, i.e., by God (Mt 18:18). This three-step process of correction corresponds, though not exactly, to the procedure of the Qumran community; see 1QS 5:25–6:1; 6:24–7:25; CD 9:2–8. The section ends with a saying about the favorable response of God to prayer, even to that of a very small number, for Jesus is in the midst of any gathering of his disciples, however small (Mt 18:19–20). Whether this prayer has anything to do with the preceding judgment is uncertain.

* [18:15] Your brother: a fellow disciple; see Mt 23:8. The bracketed words, against you, are widely attested but they are not in the important codices Sinaiticus and Vaticanus or in some other textual witnesses. Their omission broadens the type of sin in question. Won over: literally, “gained.”

* [18:16] Cf. Dt 19:15.

* [18:17] The church: the second of the only two instances of this word in the gospels; see note on Mt 16:18. Here it refers not to the entire church of Jesus, as in Mt 16:18, but to the local congregation. Treat him…a Gentile or a tax collector: just as the observant Jew avoided the company of Gentiles and tax collectors, so must the congregation of Christian disciples separate itself from the arrogantly sinful member who refuses to repent even when convicted of his sin by the whole church. Such a one is to be set outside the fellowship of the community. The harsh language about Gentile and tax collector probably reflects a stage of the Matthean church when it was principally composed of Jewish Christians. That time had long since passed, but the principle of exclusion for such a sinner remained. Paul makes a similar demand for excommunication in 1 Cor 5:1–13.

* [18:18] Except for the plural of the verbs bind and loose, this verse is practically identical with Mt 16:19b and many scholars understand it as granting to all the disciples what was previously given to Peter alone. For a different view, based on the different contexts of the two verses, see note on Mt 16:19.

* [18:19–20] Some take these verses as applying to prayer on the occasion of the church’s gathering to deal with the sinner of Mt 18:17. Unless an a fortiori argument is supposed, this seems unlikely. God’s answer to the prayer of two or three envisages a different situation from one that involves the entire congregation. In addition, the object of this prayer is expressed in most general terms as anything for which they are to pray.

* [18:20] For where two or three…midst of them: the presence of Jesus guarantees the efficacy of the prayer. This saying is similar to one attributed to a rabbi executed in A.D. 135 at the time of the second Jewish revolt: “…When two sit and there are between them the words of the Torah, the divine presence (Shekinah) rests upon them” (Pirqê ’Abôt 3, 3). (Matthew, CHAPTER 18 | USCCB, n.d.)

Eileen Wirth wonders where people turn if they don’t believe and lack a faith community.

We gain so much spiritually whenever we gather with other believers whether it’s in small faith groups like Christian Living Communities (CLC) or by participating in the endless committees that most congregations sponsor. 

This week, some of my fellow parishioners are organizing our annual parish picnic. They’re ordering the burgers and brats, signing up volunteers to set up and clean up, promoting attendance etc. – all the mundane tasks required to organize ANY event. But in the process, they’re also gathering people together to build our Christian community.  The Jesuits call it finding God in all things. And Jesus will be in our midst at both the picnic and the mass that precedes it. Both will reinforce the reasons we belong to THIS parish and to the universal church. (Wirth, 2025)

Don Schwager quotes “If someone has done you injury,” by Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD).

"If someone has done you injury and you have suffered, what should be done? You have heard the answer already in today's scripture: 'If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone.' If you fail to do so, you are worse than he is. He has done someone harm, and by doing harm he has stricken himself with a grievous wound. Will you then completely disregard your brother's wound? Will you simply watch him stumble and fall down? Will you disregard his predicament? If so, you are worse in your silence than he in his abuse. Therefore, when any one sins against us, let us take great care, but not merely for ourselves. For it is a glorious thing to forget injuries. Just set aside your own injury, but do not neglect your brother's wound. Therefore 'go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone,' intent upon his amendment but sparing his sense of shame. For it might happen that through defensiveness he will begin to justify his sin, and so you will have inadvertently nudged him still closer toward the very behavior you desire to amend. Therefore 'tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother,' because he might have been lost, had you not spoken with him. " (excerpt from Sermon 82.7) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler reflects on the texts of today. In Deuteronomy, after the commendation of Moses yesterday, he dies after seeing the Holy Land from a distance. This situation is often connected to Moses' action at Meribah. The “Church”, in Matthew, is mentioned in two instances. Today it is in the context of Church people getting along. After unsuccessfully meeting in several settings with the errant member, maybe excommunication is best for him and the community. Friar Jude reminds us that prayer has power when two or three are gathered. The love among the two or three ascends to the Lord, expressed as a community petition.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Anglican mystic and author Evelyn Underhill (1875–1941) who is convinced that the apostle Paul’s writings are often misunderstood because we weren’t taught that he is a mystic.

We misunderstand St. Paul’s mysticism if we confuse it with its more sensational expressions. As his spiritual life matured his conviction of union with the Spirit of Christ became deeper and more stable. It disclosed itself … as a source of more than natural power. Its keynote is struck in the great saying of his last authentic letter: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13). This statement has long ago been diluted to the pious level, and we have ceased to realize how startling it was and is. But St. Paul used it in the most practical sense, in a letter written from prison after twelve years of superhuman toil, privation, and ill-usage, accompanied by chronic ill-health; years which had included scourgings, stonings, shipwreck, imprisonments, “on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from bandits, danger from my own people, danger from gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, … in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, hungry and thirsty, often without food, cold and naked” (2 Corinthians 11:26–27). [1] (Rohr, n.d.)

We implore the wisdom of the Spirit when we need to address disturbance caused by the errant behavior of members of our community.

References

Deuteronomy, CHAPTER 34 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 13, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/deuteronomy/34?1 

Matthew, CHAPTER 18 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 13, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/18?15 

Psalms, PSALM 66 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 13, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/66?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Enabled to Do All Things. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved August 13, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/enabled-to-do-all-things/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). If Your Brother Sins against You. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 13, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=aug13 

Wirth, E. (2025, August 13). Daily Reflection August 13, 2025 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved August 13, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-august-13-2025