Daily Readings - Sat Feb 13 2021
Genesis
9But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?"10He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid."11And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?"12The man said, "The woman you put here with me-she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it."13Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."14So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.15And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."16To the woman he said, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you."17To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,'"Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.18It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.19By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return."20Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.21The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.22And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever."23So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.24After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
Mark
1During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said,2"I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat.3If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance."4His disciples answered, "But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?"5"How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked. "Seven," they replied.6He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people, and they did so.7They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them.8The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.9About four thousand men were present. And having sent them away,10he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the human condition and God’s response to our needs, both physical and spiritual. In the first reading from Genesis, we witness the aftermath of Adam and Eve’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden. Their sin leads to separation from God, but even in judgment, there is a glimmer of hope. God’s mercy is evident as He provides clothing for Adam and Eve and promises enmity between the serpent and the woman, foreshadowing redemption. This passage reminds us that sin has consequences, but God’s love and care for His creation endure.
In the Gospel, Mark presents a miracle that echoes God’s providence in the Old Testament. Jesus, moved by compassion for the crowd’s hunger, multiplies seven loaves and a few fish to feed over four thousand people. This act of mercy not only satisfies their physical hunger but also points to the deeper spiritual nourishment He offers. Like the crowd, we often find ourselves in situations of scarcity, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual. Jesus’ response teaches us to trust in God’s abundance and to seek Him in our needs.
These readings call us to recognize our own vulnerabilities and limitations, just as Adam and Eve acknowledged their sin, and the crowd acknowledged their hunger. They remind us that God’s mercy is always at work, even in the midst of our struggles. Let us turn to Him with humility and trust, knowing that He will provide for us in ways we cannot fully understand. May we also imitate Christ’s compassion by caring for one another’s needs, whether big or small, and may we always remember that true satisfaction comes from Him alone.