Daily Readings - Tue Feb 13 2024
James
12Blessed is the man who suffers temptation. For when he has been proven, he shall receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him13No one should say, when he is tempted, that he was tempted by God. For God does not entice toward evils, and he himself tempts no one14Yet truly, each one is tempted by his own desires, having been enticed and drawn away15Thereafter, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin. Yet truly sin, when it has been consummated, produces death16And so, do not choose to go astray, my most beloved brothers17Every excellent gift and every perfect gift is from above, descending from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change, nor any shadow of alteration18For by his own will he produced us through the Word of truth, so that we might be a kind of beginning among his creatures
Mark
14And they forgot to take bread. And they did not have any with them in the boat, except one loaf15And he instructed them, saying: "Consider and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the leaven of Herod.16And they discussed this with one another, saying, "For we have no bread.17And Jesus, knowing this, said to them: "Why do you consider that it is because you have no bread? Do you not yet know or understand? Do you still have blindness in your heart18Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? Do you not remember19when I broke the five loves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments you took up?" They said to him, "Twelve.20"And when the seven loaves were among the four thousand, how many baskets of fragments did you take up?" And they said to him, "Seven.21And he said to them, "How is it that you do not yet understand?
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the nature of temptation, discernment, and the generosity of God. In the first reading from James, we are reminded that temptation does not come from God but from our own desires, which can lead us astray. James encourages us to recognize that every good gift comes from God, who is unchanging and true. This passage calls us to be mindful of the sources of our desires and to seek God’s wisdom in navigating life’s challenges.
In the Gospel, Mark presents a scene where Jesus warns his disciples against the "leaven of the Pharisees and Herod," which symbolizes hypocrisy and worldly influence. The disciples, preoccupied with their lack of bread, fail to grasp the deeper spiritual lesson. Jesus reminds them of the miracles of the loaves, pointing out their spiritual blindness. This passage challenges us to look beyond the superficial concerns of daily life and to trust in God’s providence and wisdom.
Together, these readings remind us to be vigilant about the influences in our lives and to seek God’s truth. Like the disciples, we often miss the deeper meaning of God’s presence in our lives, focusing instead on immediate concerns. Let us ask for the grace to discern the sources of our desires and to trust in God’s generosity. May we, like James encourages, be doers of the Word, living with integrity and faith in the midst of life’s temptations.