Water in Your Desert

Thursday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Galatians 3:1-5

O stupid Galatians!
Who has bewitched you,
before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?
I want to learn only this from you:
did you receive the Spirit from works of the law,
or from faith in what you heard?
Are you so stupid?
After beginning with the Spirit,
are you now ending with the flesh?
Did you experience so many things in vain?–
if indeed it was in vain.
Does, then, the one who supplies the Spirit to you
and works mighty deeds among you
do so from works of the law
or from faith in what you heard?

Responsorial Psalm Luke 1:69-70, 71-72, 73-75

R. (68) Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; He has come to his people.

 

 

Alleluia Acts 16:14b

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Open our hearts, O Lord,
to listen to the words of your Son.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Luke 11:5-13

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Suppose one of you has a friend
to whom he goes at midnight and says,
‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,
for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey
and I have nothing to offer him,’
and he says in reply from within,
‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked
and my children and I are already in bed.
I cannot get up to give you anything.’
I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves
because of their friendship,
he will get up to give him whatever he needs
because of his persistence.

“And I tell you, ask and you will receive;
seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks, receives;
and the one who seeks, finds;
and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
What father  among you would hand his son a snake
when he asks for a fish?
Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg?
If you then, who are wicked,
know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit
to those who ask him?”

- - -

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Water in Your Desert

October 9, 2026 // Friday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time // Optional Memorial of Saint Denis, Bishop and Martyr, and his Companions, Martyrs //                                               Optional Memorial of Saint John Leonardi, Priest

Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Psalm: Psalm 111:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6. 

Reflect on the Word // 

Trudging through the ankle-deep irrigation water, I wrestle with sleepiness and call to mind the goodness that surrounds me. Thank You, Lord, that we can receive this water in a desert. Thank You for my spouse, who will wake up at 4 a.m. to take care of our property. I begin the litany and let my heart move from the present, tangible things to the sacred and eternal.

The pinkish-purple glow of the sunrise reminds me that this is a new dawn, a new day filled with hope, possibility, and maybe even unexpected surprises. At that moment, as the sun begins to appear and I give thanks to the Lord for the beauty of His works, my chore becomes an adventure.

In today's Psalm, we proclaim that God will remember His covenant forever, and we give thanks (see Psalm 111:5). We marvel at the works of the Lord. Ankle-deep in the water of real life, it can be easy to forget about God's promises and to give thanks in all circumstances. Because God is a truly good and loving Father, He will provide for us. In the drought or in the downpour, He will provide all that we need.

Gratitude starts with awareness and the awareness of God's presence will always inspire thanks. It won't always make the pain stop or bring instant healing, but it can move us to quietly offer our thanks for His presence. We simply need to cast our eyes from the murky water to the heavens above.

Relate to the Lord // Pray with us, “Thank You, Lord, for a new dawn and for all the adventures today will bring.”

Share:

Go Deeper

Products to help your prayer life & relationship with Jesus 🙏🏽

Before You Go…

Here are a few more posts you might love:

The Open Door to Grace
Apparently, I’d Been Praying the Rosary Wrong
The Interruption of the Day is “The Better Part”
The One Wounded by the Wayside
Praying with Confidence and Boldness
Make Us Like Children
A Little, A Lot