Daily Readings - Thu Feb 16 2023
Genesis
1And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.2The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered.3Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.4But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.5And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man.6"Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.7And you, be fruitful and multiply, teem on the earth and multiply in it."8Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him,9"Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you,10and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth.11I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth."12And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations:13I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.
Mark
27And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?"28And they told him, "John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets."29And he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Christ."30And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.31And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.32And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.33But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man."
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two profound moments of divine interaction and human response. The first reading from Genesis describes God's covenant with Noah, promising never again to destroy the earth with a flood, symbolized by the rainbow. This covenant underscores the sanctity of life and God's commitment to His creation. The second reading from Mark presents a pivotal moment in Jesus' ministry where Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ, followed by Jesus' prediction of His passion and Peter's subsequent rebuke, which Jesus meets with a stern reminder to align with divine will over human understanding.
These readings connect through the theme of covenant and faith. In Genesis, God establishes a covenant of protection and renewal, while in Mark, Jesus reveals the nature of His mission, calling His followers to embrace the cross. Both narratives challenge us to trust in God's promises, even when they lead to unexpected or difficult paths.
In our daily lives, we are invited to reflect on our own faith journey. Like Noah, we must trust in God's promises, even when the future seems uncertain. Like Peter, we may stumble when God's will doesn't align with our expectations, but we are called to move beyond human limitations and embrace God's plan. Let us consider where we might be called to greater trust and self-denial, aligning our will with God's, and finding the courage to follow Him, even in the face of suffering. May we, like the rainbow, become signs of hope and renewal in a world in need.