GROW AS A DISCIPLE
As the Israelites wandered in the desert, Moses heard their cries and recognized their deeper need, not simply for water, but for hope. And so, Moses calls upon the Lord, who gives them water in the desert, revealing his trustworthiness. In the big and little ways that we ask the same question – “Is the Lord in our midst or not?” – our loving and generous Father reminds us that he has not abandoned us and that his goodness will ultimately prevail. It’s easy to become disgruntled like the Israelites when there is great pain and suffering around us. But through the ways that we care for one another and the peace that we find in prayer, the Father reminds us that he stands with us, granting us sustenance and grace.
GO EVANGELIZE
When Christ told the woman at the well that those who drink the water he gives will never thirst again, she thought he was offering literal water. Christ was instead revealing his own identity as the Son of God. This woman, who hears the words of Christ and knows God’s promise of a Messiah, is filled with hope as she comes to recognize that the Lord indeed was in her midst. And I find it interesting that when she told people in town of her encounter with Christ, she told them of how he saw the mistakes of her past. Jesus loved her and called her to step into the fullness of who she could be by turning away from the past that she clung to. We live in a world where we have very real physical needs, like the Israelites who thirsted, and the need to be seen in love, like the Samaritan woman. Ultimately, at the core of both of these needs is the desire for the hope that only God can give. When we serve our neighbors and look upon others with love, we can also be the vessel through which the presence of God is made known.
WITNESS
In our world, people are constantly asking the question, “Is the Lord in our midst or not?” Reflect on one way that you can share the Good News of the Gospel through word or action to make the presence of God known to those in your community.
By The Faithful Disciple