The daily Word of God
Friday, February 21st, 2025
Friday of week 6 in Ordinary Time or Saint Peter Damian, Bishop, Doctor
Mk 8:34—9:1 Marked with the cross
First Reading: Genesis 11:1-9
The whole world spoke the same language, using the same words.
While the people were migrating in the east,
they came upon a valley in the land of Shinar and settled there.
They said to one another,
“Come, let us mold bricks and harden them with fire.”
They used bricks for stone, and bitumen for mortar.
Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city
and a tower with its top in the sky,
and so make a name for ourselves;
otherwise we shall be scattered all over the earth.”
The Lord came down to see the city and the tower
that they had built.
Then the Lord said: “If now, while they are one people,
all speaking the same language,
they have started to do this,
nothing will later stop them from doing whatever they presume to do.
Let us then go down and there confuse their language,
so that one will not understand what another says.”
Thus the Lord scattered them from there all over the earth,
and they stopped building the city.
That is why it was called Babel,
because there the Lord confused the speech of all the world.
It was from that place that he scattered them all over the earth.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 33:10-11, 12-13, 14-15
R./ Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
The Lord brings to nought the plans of nations;
he foils the designs of peoples.
But the plan of the Lord stands forever;
the design of his heart, through all generations.
R./ Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Blessed the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
From heaven the Lord looks down;
he sees all mankind.
R./ Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
From his fixed throne he beholds
all who dwell on the earth,
He who fashioned the heart of each,
he who knows all their works.
R./ Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Gospel Reading: Mark 8:34--9:1
Jesus summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them,
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake
and that of the Gospel will save it.
What profit is there for one to gain the whole world
and forfeit his life?
What could one give in exchange for his life?
Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words
in this faithless and sinful generation,
the Son of Man will be ashamed of
when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
He also said to them,
“Amen, I say to you,
there are some standing here who will not taste death
until they see that the Kingdom of God has come in power.”
Dear Friend,
Today, the Book of Genesis presents us with the story of the Tower of Babel, where humanity was thrown into confusion.
It’s a powerful symbol of what happens when hearts are not in sync—when everyone is focused on themselves, when pride and selfishness run free.
These sins make true communication impossible, hinder mutual understanding, and prevent us from working together because our interests become too divided.
Babel is the opposite of Pentecost.
At Pentecost, despite differences in race and culture, everyone understood one another because they were filled with the Holy Spirit.
The spirit of Babel is the spirit of arrogance:
«Let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the earth.»
Where do you find yourself today?
Are you in Babel or in Pentecost?
- Isolated or in communion?
- Proud or fraternal?
- Self-sufficient or dependent on God?
- Closed or open?
- Distrusting or trusting?
What does God do with a city (or an attitude) that is closed off to His heart?
Today’s Psalm 32 tells us:
«The Lord brings the plans of nations to nothing; He frustrates the designs of peoples.»
That’s why:
«Blessed is the nation (the attitude) whose God is the Lord.»
Such a person will not live in the spirit of Babel, but in the spirit of Pentecost.
However, living in the spirit of Pentecost, following Christ, is not an easy path.
It often requires sacrifices, like carrying our cross and following in His footsteps.
After Jesus rebukes Peter for failing to understand that His mission includes suffering and death, He clarifies today:
«Whoever wants to follow me must deny themselves, take up their cross, be willing to lose their life, and not be ashamed of me in this world.»
It may feel like a cold shower in the midst of the joy of believing.
But Jesus Himself has warned us—and we have already experienced this reality in our own faith journeys.
Following Jesus is the greatest thing in our lives, but it also requires commitment and comes with challenges.
And yet, it is worth it.
Your brother in faith,
Juan Lozano, C.M.F.Opening Prayer
God of power and love,
in your mercy, you sent us your Son
to liberate us by his cross
from our selfishness
and from fear and sin and death.
Make us grow in the mentality of Jesus
and fill us with the strength of his Spirit,
that we may bear life’s burdens with him
and with him also take the pains
to live for others and to bring them hope and joy.
May we thus, go the way of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Liturgy of the Word
First Reading Introduction: Let us go down and there confuse their language. Our first reading expresses the desire for mutual understanding, respect and tolerance: ”If we could only speak all the same language!” The author uses the occasion to ridicule the proud Babylon that destroyed nations and cultures. “Babal” means “to confuse” in Assyrian. Babylonians deserved a monument for confusing people.
Gospel Introduction: Those who lose their lives for my sake and that of the Gospel, will save them. Being a disciple of Jesus implies journeying with Jesus on the way of the cross. Christians, followers of Christ, are people marked with the cross. We make the sign of the cross not merely symbolically when we pray but also in real life, whether we like it or not. We have to learn to accept the cross with Jesus.
General Intercessions
– For the People of God, the Church, that Christ may become more visible in its commitment to serve God and people, in its loving concern for the poor and its continuous conversion to the Gospel, we pray:
– For all Christians, who claim to follow Christ, that they may live up without fear to the demands of the Gospel and bear witness to the crucified Lord, we pray:
– For those who suffer in their bodies and their hearts, that they may realize that they are one with the Lord in his passion and death, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord, our God,
we bring these humble gifts before you.
In these sign of bread and wine,
Jesus, your Son will give himself to us.
May he give us the strength
to go with courage on our journey through life,
also when it becomes a way of the cross,
that we may follow him all the way
to you, our loving God for ever.
Prayer after Communion
Father,
we have been one with Jesus at his table;
may we also be united with him
on his way to you and to people.
May we follow him wherever he leads us,
in dark days as well as in days of joy
and send us wherever people need us,
to bring them your liberating word
and your helping hand,
also when it costs us pain and effort.
We ask this in the name of Jesus, the Lord.
Blessing
We should not ask for crosses. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus asked that the cross be taken away from him. But we have to accept it when our faith and love and the circumstances of life demand it. May God strengthen you and bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
