Today, 22nd of February, we celebrate
The Chair of Saint Peter the Apostle
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.
R./ The Lord will bless his people with peace.
Give to the Lord, you sons of God,
give to the Lord glory and praise,
Give to the Lord the glory due his name;
adore the Lord in holy attire.
R./ The Lord will bless his people with peace.
The voice of the Lord is over the waters,
the Lord, over vast waters.
The voice of the Lord is mighty;
the voice of the Lord is majestic.
R./ The Lord will bless his people with peace.
The God of glory thunders,
and in his temple all say, "Glory!"
The Lord is enthroned above the flood;
the Lord is enthroned as king forever.
R./ The Lord will bless his people with peace.
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?"
Dear Friend,
God’s Word today invites us to be mindful of evil in all its forms—personal, social, and structural. Both the Book of Genesis and the Gospel warn us about this reality, which goes against God’s plan.
In the first reading, we hear:
«When the Lord saw how great the wickedness of human beings was on the earth, and how every thought in their hearts was always evil, He regretted creating humanity on earth, and His heart was grieved.»
These harsh words call us to self-reflection.
How am I—through my actions or inaction—contributing to an atmosphere of evil? Am I fostering a «hamartiosphere» (from hamartía, meaning sin), where negativity and wrongdoing grow?
God loves His creation and His creatures, and it pains Him when we fail to follow His plan, when we misuse our freedom and do not cooperate with His divine purpose.
Jesus warns us about hidden evil—the kind that grows and spreads dangerously, like leaven in dough. He often used this image positively, but not this time:
«Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.»
Today, we might replace «Pharisees and Herod» with modern figures, ideologies, and distortions of truth that corrupt hearts and minds.
What do you think these «leavens» are today? Which ones do you see as destructive? Which ones undermine your faith and hope?
Jesus reminds His disciples—and reminds us today—that He is the Bread of Life, the nourishment that strengthens us against evil and helps us spread goodness.
In the Eucharist, we receive Him.
«You are what you eat.»
When we receive the Body of Christ, we take on our true identity—called to be one in Him.
And in that unity, we are meant to care for one another and for our common home, the creation that God has entrusted to us.
This might seem like an overwhelming task, especially when we struggle even to take care of ourselves. But this is our calling—and for this, we need the Bread that Jesus offers, not the empty substitutes that fill us but do not nourish us, or worse, poison us.
Today’s Gospel passage ends with Jesus’ question:
«Do you still not understand?»
This is a great question to bring into prayer today.
Lord, enlighten our understanding so that we may comprehend, embrace, and live out the Word that challenges us. Free us from toxic influences that contaminate our hearts.
Your brother in faith,
Juan Lozano, C.M.F.Lord our God,
when we do not see clearly in life,
when suffering comes our way,
we tend to blame you or people.
Help us to realize clearly
how much of the evil around us
comes from within ourselves,
from our greed for riches and power,
from our self-complacency and selfishness.
Speak to us your word of forgiveness
and change us from a silent majority of evil
into a solidarity of love,
by the grace of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
First Reading Introduction
The memory of big inundations was strong in the lands and cultures of Asia Minor. The Bible ascribes them as God's punishment of the growing evil in the world. Yet, at the same time,—he spares the innocent.
– For those who are tempted, that they may remember how Jesus overcame temptation and ask him to give them the strength to resist, we pray:
–For those who have seriously sinned, that they may remember that God still loves them and is ready to forgive them, we pray:
–For all of us, that we may see the signs of God's goodness and of the faith of good people, we pray:
Lord God, loving Father,
in these signs of bread and wine,
you reassure us that you are always with us
through him who became one of us,
your Son, Jesus Christ.
Give us eyes to see and ears to hear
all the good things you do for us
through people who comfort us
and share with us in the hour of need;
help us to brighten each other's lives
with a smile and a warm word,
as you are the light of our lives
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Lord our God,
when we look for signs
that you are still with us,
give us the faith and the strength
to be to the world the sign
of your saving love
by our integrity, our ways of peace,
our concern for one another,
for where charity and love prevail
surely you are there
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Just open your eyes and your ears and learn to see the good things God does among us even today. Keep seeing and believing, for there are signs enough. May Almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
