Daily Readings - Tue Feb 07 2023
Genesis
20And God said, "Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens."21So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.22And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth."23And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.24And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds--livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds." And it was so.25And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.26Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.28And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth."29And God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.30And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food." And it was so.31And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
1Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.2And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.3So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.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.
Mark
1Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem,2they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed.3(For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands, holding to the tradition of the elders,4and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches. )5And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?"6And he said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, "'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;7in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'8You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men."9And he said to them, "You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!10For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.'11But you say, 'If a man tells his father or his mother, Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban' (that is, given to God)--12then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother,13thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do."
Sermon
The first reading from Genesis describes the creation of the world, highlighting God’s deliberate and loving act of bringing life into being. We hear how God creates sea creatures, birds, land animals, and finally humanity, made in his own image and likeness. The passage emphasizes God’s satisfaction with creation, culminating in the rest on the seventh day, which is blessed and sanctified. This reading reminds us of the intrinsic dignity of all creation and humanity’s unique role as stewards of the earth. The context is foundational, setting the stage for understanding humanity’s relationship with God and the world.
The Gospel from Mark presents a contrast between outward religious practices and the heart of faith. Jesus criticizes the Pharisees and scribes for prioritizing human traditions, such as ritual washings, over God’s commandments. He accuses them of honoring God with their lips while their hearts are far from him. This reading challenges us to examine our own practices and ensure that our faith is not reduced to empty rituals but flows from a genuine love for God and others. The context is one of tension between external observance and internal conversion.
Together, these readings invite us to reflect on the balance between tradition and true faith. While rituals and practices can be meaningful, they must never overshadow the deeper call to love and relationship with God. In our daily lives, we are called to examine our own habits and priorities, ensuring that our actions flow from a heart that seeks God rather than merely following rules. Let us strive to live as stewards of creation, honoring God not just with our lips but with our lives, and to cultivate a faith that is both authentic and transformative.