First Reading
“I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the ground. ”
A reading from the Book of Genesis (Genesis 6:5-8; 7:1-5, 10)
The LORD 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. And the Lord was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the ground, man and beast and creeping things and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found favour in the eyes of the Lord. Then the Lord said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation. Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and his mate; and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and his mate; and seven pairs of the birds of the air also, male and female, to keep their kind alive upon the face of all the earth. For in seven days I will send rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground.” And Noah did all that the Lord had commanded him. And after seven days the waters of the flood came upon the earth.
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Ps 29:1a and 2.3ac-4.3b and 9c- 10 (R. 11b)
R/. The Lord will bless his people with peace.
Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly powers,
ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name;
bow down before the Lord, majestic in holiness. R.
The voice of the Lord upon the waters,
the Lord on the immensity of waters;
the voice of the Lord full of power;
the voice of the Lord full of splendour. R.
R/. The Lord will bless his people with peace.
The God of glory thunders;
in his temple they all cry, “Glory!”
The Lord sat enthroned above the flood;
the Lord sits as king forever. R.
ALLELUIA John 14:23
Alleluia. If a man loves me, he will keep my word, says the Lord; and my father will love him, and we will come to him. Alleluia.
GOSPEL
“Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mark 8:14-21)
At that time: The disciples had forgotten to bring bread; and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. And Jesus cautioned them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” And they discussed it with one another, saying, “We have no bread.” And being aware of it, Jesus said to them, “Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They said to him, “Twelve.” “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to him, “Seven.” And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Today’s Reflection
Yeast is a powdery substance that is used as a rising-agent in the baking of bread. Just a little quantity can have a tremendous effect on the dough. Jesus warns against the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod. That is, the narrow-mindedness of the Pharisees and the immoral pleasure seeking attitude of the Herodian’s. But the disciples were not listening to their master; they were preoccupied with their lack of bread. Jesus scolds them for their lack of perception and forgetfulness. We are sometimes like the disciples, we get distracted when conversion sermons are preached. We get so worried and preoccupied with material needs and forget that we have been there before; that the same Jesus, can do it again. Am I still without perception? Is my mind closed?