Daily Catholic Mass Readings for February 6, 2023
First Reading: Genesis 1.1-19
1In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.2And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.3And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.4And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.5And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.6And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.7And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.8And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.9And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.10And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.11And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.12And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.13And the evening and the morning were the third day.14And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:15And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.16And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.17And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,18And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.19And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
Psalm 104
1Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.2Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:3Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind:4Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:5Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.6Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains.7At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away.8They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them.9Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.10He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills.11They give drink to every beast of the field: the wild asses quench their thirst.12By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches.13He watereth the hills from his chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works.14He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth;15And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man's heart.16The trees of the LORD are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted;17Where the birds make their nests: as for the stork, the fir trees are her house.18The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; and the rocks for the conies.19He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down.20Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth.21The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God.22The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens.23Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening.24O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.25So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.26There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein.27These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season.28That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.29Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.30Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.31The glory of the LORD shall endure for ever: the LORD shall rejoice in his works.32He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke.33I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.34My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD.35Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD.
Gospel: Mark 6.53-56
53And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret, and drew to the shore.54And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew him,55And ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was.56And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.
Sermon
In today's readings, we journey through the beginning of creation and witness the healing power of Jesus. The first reading from Genesis recounts the first four days of creation, where God systematically brings order to chaos, creating light, separating waters, forming land, and placing the sun, moon, and stars in the sky. This narrative emphasizes God's deliberate and purposeful creation, highlighting the intrinsic goodness of His work. Each day builds upon the last, demonstrating a divine plan and harmony in the universe.
The Gospel from Mark shifts our focus to Jesus, who continues God's redemptive work. Arriving in Genesaret, Jesus is met with faith-filled people seeking healing. They bring the sick to touch even the hem of His garment, and all who do so are healed. This passage underscores Jesus' role as the bearer of God's healing grace, extending the divine order and love seen in creation into a broken world.
These readings invite us to reflect on God's ongoing work in our lives. Just as creation was brought forth with purpose, our lives are part of a larger divine plan. We are called to trust in this plan and to be instruments of healing and light. Like the people in Genesaret, we can approach Jesus with faith, seeking His touch in our own lives and extending His healing presence to others. May we embrace our role in continuing God's work, bringing order and grace to a world in need.