Daily Readings - Wed Feb 15 2023

⁶After forty days Noah opened the window he had made in the ark⁷and sent out a raven, and it kept flying back and forth until the water had dried up from the earth.⁸Then he sent out a dove to see if the water had receded from the surface of the ground.⁹But the dove could find no place to set its feet because there was water over all the surface of the earth; so it returned to Noah in the ark. He reached out his hand and took the dove and brought it back to himself in the ark.¹⁰He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark.¹¹When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth.¹²He waited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but this time it did not return to him.¹³By the first day of the first month of Noah's six hundred and first year, the water had dried up from the earth. Noah then removed the covering from the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry.²⁰Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it.²¹The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.²²"As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease."

Mark

Chapter 8

²²They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.²³He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?"²⁴He looked up and said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around."²⁵Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.²⁶Jesus sent him home, saying, "Don't go into the village. "

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter stories of transformation and renewal, each offering insights into God's grace and our response to it. The first reading from Genesis describes the aftermath of the flood, where Noah releases a raven and a dove to ascertain if the earth is habitable again. The dove's return with an olive branch signifies peace and new life, leading Noah to build an altar in gratitude. This act marks the beginning of a covenant between God and humanity, a promise of mercy and renewal. The Gospel from Mark narrates the healing of a blind man in Bethsaida. Jesus' method is unusual—using spit and a gradual process to restore sight. This miracle underscores Jesus' divine power and His approach to healing, which often involves patience and trust. The man's initial partial vision, followed by complete clarity, mirrors our own spiritual journeys, where understanding and faith develop over time. Both stories highlight themes of trust and transformation. Noah's patience and faith in God's plan, despite the uncertainty of the flood's aftermath, teach us to trust in divine providence. The blind man's healing reminds us that spiritual enlightenment is a process requiring openness and perseverance. In our lives, we may face periods of uncertainty or darkness, but these readings assure us that God is always present, offering renewal and hope. Let us embrace the journey, trusting in God's plan and remaining open to His transformative grace.