Daily Readings - Wed Feb 13 2019
Genesis
4These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.5When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up--for the LORD God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground,6and a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground--7then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.8And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed.9And out of the ground the LORD God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.15The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.16And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden,17but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."
Mark
14And he called the people to him again and said to them, "Hear me, all of you, and understand:15There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him."16See Footnote17And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable.18And he said to them, "Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him,19since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?" (Thus he declared all foods clean.)20And he said, "What comes out of a person is what defiles him.21For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,22coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.23All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person."
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the nature of humanity, creation, and the source of sin. In the first reading from Genesis, we hear the story of the creation of humanity and the Garden of Eden. God forms man from the earth and places him in a paradise filled with beauty and abundance. The tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil stand at the center, symbolizing the gift of life and the choice between obedience and disobedience. This passage reminds us that we are created in God’s image, called to care for creation, and given the freedom to choose between good and evil.
In the Gospel, Jesus shifts our focus from external purity to the inner heart. He teaches that it is not what enters from outside that defiles a person, but rather what comes out from within. Jesus lists the evils that flow from the human heart—such as greed, deceit, and murder—emphasizing that true defilement comes from our own sinful choices. This teaching challenges us to look inward, to examine our thoughts, desires, and actions, and to recognize that the root of sin lies within us.
These readings call us to live with integrity and self-awareness. Just as Adam and Eve were given the responsibility to care for the Garden, we too are called to tend to our own hearts. Let us ask ourselves: What are the “trees” in our lives—those choices and desires—that either lead us closer to God or away from Him? May we cultivate hearts of love, compassion, and honesty, so that the fruits of our lives may reflect the purity and grace of God’s creation.