August 7, 2025 // Optional Memorial of Saint Sixtus II, Pope and Martyr, and his Companions, Martyrs // Optional Memorial of Saint Cajetan, Priest
Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Numbers 20:1-13
Reflect on the Word //
The dust swirled around the People of God. The hot sun beat down and sweat beaded on their brows. Little children squirmed and whimpered. They could think of nothing but their thirst. What good was freedom if it meant death? Could they really trust God to provide yet again?
In college, I started reading about the Catholic faith in an effort to convert my boyfriend to my evangelical beliefs. We studied one question at a time: the Eucharist, Mary and the Saints, the priesthood, Sacraments, the papacy. One by one, my objections to Catholicism faded in the beautiful light of Church teaching.
I hated every minute of it.
I had known Jesus as an intimate friend since early childhood. I was comfortable and sure in my faith. Now He was calling me into something new. And it looked like a desert. I was afraid of what it would mean to become Catholic, to leave the traditions of my family behind and obey God’s call. I was terrified that the Church would not meet my needs.
At Meribah, the Lord brought forth water from a rock, and everyone drank (Numbers 20:11-12). Jesus fulfills this moment when He says to the Samaritan woman at the well, “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14). This water also springs from a rock: “And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).
Though our God has never yet failed us, every desert experience, every moment of grief, betrayal, or desolation, every time we are dismayed by our own weakness or sin is another opportunity for us to return to Meribah. In our soul’s poverty and thirst, we cry out to God. Through the grace of the Sacraments, we receive living water. The presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives is already providing for all of our needs: past, present, and future.
Relate to the Lord // Use Holy Water today to bless yourself (and perhaps your home), “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”
Elizabeth Blanke Show is a remarried widow and mama to seven beautiful kiddos. She is passionate about creating community, and loves gathering people to share meals and music in her home. She also loves spending time in nature and exploring new places. You can find her on Instagram @elizaraxi.
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