Daily Catholic Mass Readings for February 21, 2019
First Reading: Genesis 9.1-13
1And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.2And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.3Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.4But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.5And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man.6Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.7And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.8And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying,9And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you;10And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth.11And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.12And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:13I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.
Psalm 102
1Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee.2Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily.3For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth.4My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread.5By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin.6I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert.7I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top.8Mine enemies reproach me all the day; and they that are mad against me are sworn against me.9For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping,10Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down.11My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass.12But thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations.13Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come.14For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof.15So the heathen shall fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth thy glory.16When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.17He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.18This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD.19For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth;20To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death;21To declare the name of the LORD in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem;22When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.23He weakened my strength in the way; he shortened my days.24I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations.25Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.26They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:27But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.28The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before thee.
Gospel: Mark 8.27-33
27And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am?28And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets.29And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ.30And he charged them that they should tell no man of him.31And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.32And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.33But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two profound moments in the history of God's relationship with humanity. The first reading from Genesis describes the covenant God establishes with Noah after the flood, a promise of renewal and protection, symbolized by the rainbow. This covenant extends not just to Noah and his family but to all living creatures, emphasizing God's universal care and the sacredness of life. The Gospel reading from Mark presents a pivotal moment in Jesus' ministry, where he reveals his identity as the Christ and begins to teach his disciples about the necessity of his suffering, death, and resurrection. Peter's reaction and Jesus' rebuke highlight the tension between human understanding and divine will.
The context of these readings reveals God's enduring commitment to humanity. In Genesis, the flood represents a reset, a fresh start, with God pledging never again to destroy the earth in such a way. This covenant is a testament to God's mercy and faithfulness. In Mark, Jesus' conversation with his disciples marks a turning point, as he shifts from his public ministry to preparing his followers for the reality of his mission. Peter's resistance to the idea of suffering reflects our own struggles to accept the cross in our lives.
These readings invite us to reflect on our own relationship with God and our willingness to embrace His plan. Like Noah, we are called to trust in God's promises, even when the path ahead seems uncertain. Like Peter, we may resist the idea of sacrifice, but Jesus reminds us that true discipleship requires taking up our cross and following Him. In our daily lives, this means aligning our will with God's, even when it challenges our desires or comforts. The moral lesson here is clear: to live as children of God, we must embrace both the beauty of His promises and the demands of His call.