Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection February 18, 2025
6th Week in Ordinary Time
18th February 2025 (Tuesday)
Psalter: Week 2
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Genesis 6:5-8; 7:1-5, 10
When the LORD saw how great was man’s wickedness on earth, and how no desire that his heart conceived was ever anything but evil, he regretted that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was grieved. So the LORD said: “I will wipe out from the earth the men whom I have created, and not only the men, but also the beasts and the creeping things and the birds of the air, for I am sorry that I made them.” But Noah found favor with the LORD. Then the LORD said to Noah: “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for you alone in this age have I found to be truly just. Of every clean animal, take with you seven pairs, a male and its mate; and of the unclean animals, one pair, a male and its mate; likewise, of every clean bird of the air, seven pairs, a male and a female, and of all the unclean birds, one pair, a male and a female. Thus you will keep their issue alive over all the earth. Seven days from now I will bring rain down on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and so I will wipe out from the surface of the earth every moving creature that I have made.” Noah did just as the LORD had commanded him. As soon as the seven days were over, the waters of the flood came upon the earth.
Psalm 29:1a, 2, 3ac-4, 3b & 9c-10 (R. 11b)
R/. The Lord will bless his people with peace.
Gospel Acclamation
V/. Alleluia
R/. Alleluia
V/. Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord; and my Father will love him and we will come to him.
R/. Alleluia.
Gospel: Mark 8: 14-21
The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. Jesus enjoined them, “Watch out, guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” They concluded among themselves that it was because they had no bread. When he became aware of this he said to them, “Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread? Do you not yet understand or comprehend? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear? And do you not remember, when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many wicker baskets full of fragments you picked up?” They answered him, “Twelve.” “When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many full baskets of fragments did you pick up?” They answered him, “Seven.” He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”
Daily Gospel Reflection
Tuesday – 6th Week in Ordinary Time
Main Point: Negative influences assail us any time and all the time, and we need to be cautious about them.
Our human predicament is being constantly exposed to evil. All the more, in our own times, evil seems to be on a rampage. Exactly as in the time of Noah, we see that the wickedness of man is great on earth and all the thoughts seem to be thoroughly evil-oriented. In Jesus’ time too, there were the negative examples and the false influence of the Pharisees and scribes that shake true faith and misguide others.
This is exactly the leaven of Pharisees and that of Herod. We will never lack these wrong-footed influences, the deviations and distortions. Many are under the false influences. Consequently, as Jesus reproaches in the gospel, hearts are hardened.
Having eyes, many do not see, and having ears, they do not hear. They easily forget the immense good that happens in their life. The disciples had already seen the miraculous power of Jesus when he fed the multitude with few loaves and fish. Yet, they were much worried about lacking enough bread. In these aspects, they too fall into the same category of faithless Pharisees and Jews.
What then is the remedy? We should constantly lean on Jesus and remember his miracles which are powerful manifestations of his love for us. In the face of wrong influences and pressures against faith, we must cultivate the spirit of turning to God in surrender and perseverance. Like Noah in Genesis, we must keep ourselves uncontaminated and righteous even amidst an evil and misguided generation, with false leaders like the Pharisees and Herod.
My Practice: What we must try is not so much avoiding all the negative influences, which is not at all possible. But rather, to resist them, and to persevere till the end, resting on Jesus
