Daily Readings - Sat Feb 16 2019
Genesis
9And the Lord God called Adam and said to him: "Where are you?10And he said, "I heard your voice in Paradise, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and so I hid myself.11He said to him, "Then who told you that you were naked, if you have not eaten of the tree from which I instructed you that you should not eat?12And Adam said, "The woman, whom you gave to me as a companion, gave to me from the tree, and I ate.13And the Lord God said to the woman, "Why have you done this?" And she responded, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate.14And the Lord God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, you are cursed among all living things, even the wild beasts of the earth. Upon your breast shall you travel, and the ground shall you eat, all the days of your life15I will put enmities between you and the woman, between your offspring and her offspring. She will crush your head, and you will lie in wait for her heel.16To the woman, he also said: "I will multiply your labors and your conceptions. In pain shall you give birth to sons, and you shall be under your husband’s power, and he shall have dominion over you.17Yet truly, to Adam, he said: "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree, from which I instructed you that you should not eat, cursed is the land that you work. In hardship shall you eat from it, all the days of your life18Thorns and thistles shall it produce for you, and you shall eat the plants of the earth19By the sweat of your face shall you eat bread, until you return to the earth from which you were taken. For dust you are, and unto dust you shall return.20And Adam called the name of his wife, ‘Eve,’ because she was the mother of all the living21The Lord God also made for Adam and his wife garments from skins, and he clothed them22And he said: "Behold, Adam has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Therefore, now perhaps he may put forth his hand and also take from the tree of life, and eat, and live in eternity.23And so the Lord God sent him away from the Paradise of enjoyment, in order to work the earth from which he was taken24And he cast out Adam. And in front of the Paradise of enjoyment, he placed the Cherubim with a flaming sword, turning together, to guard the way to the tree of life
Mark
1In those days, again, when there was a great crowd, and they did not have anything to eat, calling together his disciples, he said to them2"I have compassion for the multitude, because, behold, they have persevered with me now for three days, and they do not have anything to eat3And if I were to send them away fasting to their home, they might faint on the way." For some of them came from far away4And his disciples answered him, "From where would anyone be able to obtain enough bread for them in the wilderness?5And he questioned them, "How many loaves do you have?" And they said, "Seven.6And he instructed the crowd to sit down to eat on the ground. And taking the seven loaves, giving thanks, he broke and gave it to his disciples in order to place before them. And they placed these before the crowd7And they had a few small fish. And he blessed them, and he ordered them to be placed before them8And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up what had been leftover from the fragments: seven baskets9And those who ate were about four thousand. And he dismissed them10And promptly climbing into a boat with his disciples, he went into the parts of Dalmanutha
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two profound moments of human encounter with God. The first reading from Genesis recounts the story of Adam and Eve after their disobedience in the Garden of Eden. Here, we see the consequences of sin—shame, blame-shifting, and the introduction of suffering into the world. Yet, even amidst judgment, there is a glimmer of hope: the promise of enmity between the serpent and the woman, and the ultimate victory of her offspring over evil. This passage reminds us that sin separates us from God, but God does not abandon us; instead, He provides for us, as seen in the garments He makes for Adam and Eve.
The Gospel from Mark presents a very different scene: Jesus, moved by compassion, feeds a crowd of four thousand people with just seven loaves of bread and a few fish. This miracle, like the feeding of the five thousand earlier in Mark’s Gospel, reveals Jesus as the Bread of Life, who satisfies our deepest hungers. Just as God provided garments for Adam and Eve in their nakedness, Jesus provides food for those who are physically and spiritually hungry. Both readings highlight God’s mercy and His desire to restore us, even when we have fallen short.
These readings invite us to reflect on our own relationship with God. Like Adam and Eve, we often hide from God when we are aware of our sinfulness. Yet, Jesus shows us a God who seeks us out, who feeds us, and who restores us. In our daily lives, we are called to trust in God’s providence, even when we face scarcity or hardship. Let us turn to Him with humility and gratitude, knowing that He is always near, ready to satisfy our deepest needs and lead us back to the Paradise of His love.