August 16, 2003, Wednesday of the 19th week in ordinary time.

A reading from the book of Deuteronomy.

Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, the headland of Piscar, which faces Jericho,

and the Lord showed him all the land, Gilead, and as far as Dan,

all Naftali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western

Sea, the Negeb, the circuit of the Jordan, with the lowlands at Jericho, city of Palms,

and as far as Zohar.

The Lord then said to him, This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that I would give to their descendants.

I have let you feast your eyes upon it, but you shall not cross over.

So there, in the land of Moab, Moses, the servant of the Lord, died as the Lord had said,

and he was buried in the ravine opposite Bethpawar in the land of Moab. But to this day, no one knows the

place of his burial. Moses was 120 years old when he died, yet his eyes were undimmed

and his vigor unabated. For 30 days, the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab,

till they had completed the period of grief and mourning for Moses.

Now Joshua, son of none, was filled with the spirit of wisdom

since Moses had laid his hands upon him.

And so the children of Israel gave him their obedience,

thus carrying out the Lord's command to Moses.

Since then, no prophet has arisen in Israel like Moses,

whom the Lord knew face to face. He had no equal. In all the signs and wonders

the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh and all his servants and against

all his land, and for the might and the terrifying power that Moses exhibited in the sight of all Israel.

...