Daily Readings - Sun Feb 21 2021

⁸Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him:⁹"I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you¹⁰and with every living creature that was with you-the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you-every living creature on earth.¹¹I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth."¹²And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come:¹³I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.¹⁴Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds,¹⁵I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.

1 Peter

Chapter 3

¹⁸For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,¹⁹through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison²⁰who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water,²¹and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also--not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,²²who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand--with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

Mark

Chapter 1

¹²At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert,¹³and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.¹⁴After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.¹⁵"The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"

Sermon

In today's readings, we journey through themes of promise, salvation, and mission. The first reading from Genesis recounts God's covenant with Noah, a promise of renewal after the flood, symbolized by the rainbow. This story reminds us of God's enduring faithfulness and the hope of new beginnings. The second reading from 1 Peter draws a parallel between the salvation of Noah's family through water and our salvation through baptism, highlighting the transformative power of faith. The Gospel from Mark describes Jesus' temptation in the wilderness and the beginning of his ministry, illustrating his commitment to God's will and the call to repentance. These readings are interconnected through the themes of covenant and salvation. Noah's covenant represents God's promise to humanity, while Jesus' journey symbolizes the fulfillment of that promise through his ministry. The connection between the flood and baptism underscores the idea of salvation as a divine act that transforms and renews. The wilderness temptation shows Jesus overcoming challenges, setting an example for us to face our own trials with faith. In our daily lives, these readings invite us to trust in God's promises, especially during difficult times. Just as Noah trusted God's plan and Jesus endured temptation, we are called to live out our faith with courage and hope. The moral lesson here is one of renewal and trust—reminding us that through our baptism, we are called to a life of faith and service, living as children of God, and sharing the Good News with the world.