Daily Catholic Mass Readings for February 14, 2023
First Reading: Genesis 6.5-8; 7.1-5, 10
5And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.6And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.7And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.8But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
1And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.2Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.3Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.4For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.5And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him.10And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.
Psalm 29
1Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength.2Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.3The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters.4The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.5The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.6He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.7The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire.8The voice of the LORD shaketh the wilderness; the LORD shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.9The voice of the LORD maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory.10The LORD sitteth upon the flood; yea, the LORD sitteth King for ever.11The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.
Gospel: Mark 8.14-21
14Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf.15And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.16And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread.17And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened?18Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?19When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve.20And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven.21And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?
Sermon
The first reading from Genesis presents a somber scene of God’s sorrow over humanity’s corruption. The text describes how the wickedness of humanity grieved God’s heart, leading Him to decide to send a flood to cleanse the earth. Yet, amidst this judgment, Noah stands out as a righteous man who finds grace in God’s eyes. The passage then details God’s instructions to Noah to build an ark and save himself, his family, and representatives of every living creature. This narrative sets the stage for a story of destruction and salvation, highlighting the tension between God’s justice and His mercy.
The Gospel reading from Mark shifts the focus to Jesus’ interaction with His disciples. After forgetting to bring bread, the disciples begin to worry, and Jesus uses this moment to warn them against the “leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” This metaphor refers to the corrupting influence of hypocrisy and worldly power. Jesus then reminds the disciples of the miracles of the loaves—the feeding of the 5,000 and the 4,000—questioning why they still fail to understand the deeper spiritual reality at work. This exchange reveals the disciples’ spiritual blindness and Jesus’ patient yet persistent call to faith.
Both readings invite us to reflect on trust and perception. In Genesis, Noah’s obedience to God’s command, despite the enormity of the task, exemplifies unwavering faith in the face of uncertainty. Similarly, in Mark, Jesus calls the disciples—and us—to look beyond the surface of things and to trust in God’s providence. In our daily lives, we often face moments of doubt or confusion, but these readings remind us to remain vigilant against the “leaven” of sin and to trust in God’s plan, even when the path ahead seems unclear. Let us strive to deepen our faith, just as Noah trusted God’s Word, and to see beyond the physical to the spiritual realities that truly sustain us.