05 August 2021, Thursday, General Week 18 MASS READINGS FIRST READING "Water gushes in abundance" Reading from the Book of Numbers (20, 1-13)

05 August 2021, Thursday, General Week 18 

MASS READINGS 

FIRST READING 

"Water gushes in abundance" 

Reading from the Book of Numbers (20, 1-13) 

In those days, the first month of the year, the whole community of the sons of Israel arrived in the desert of Cine. The people settled in Cadès. It was there that Miriam died and was buried. As there was no water for the community, they gathered against Moses and Aaron. The people quarreled with Moses, saying: “Ah! if only we had expired, when our brethren expired before the Lord! Why have you brought the assembly of the Lord into this desert where we are going to die, us and our animals? Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, and bring us to this place of calamity where nothing can be sown, where there are no fig trees, vineyards, pomegranates, and not even water to drink? ! Moses and Aaron left the assembly and went to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. They fell face down on the ground, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, “Take your chief's staff and, with your brother Aaron, gather the community. Then, before their eyes, you will speak to the rock, and it will give its water. For them you will make water gush out of the rock, and you will make the community and its animals drink. As he had been ordered, Moses took the staff that was placed before the Lord. Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together in front of the rock, and Moses said to them, “Hear now, rebels. Can we get some water out of this rock for you? Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff: water gushed out in abundance, and the community could drink and water their animals. The Lord then said to Moses and to his brother Aaron: “Since you have not had enough faith to manifest my holiness before the children of Israel, you will not bring this assembly into the land that I am giving them. These are the waters of Meribah (that is, the waters of Challenge) where the sons of Israel challenged the Lord, and where the Lord manifested among them his holiness. 

    - Word of the Lord. 

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