The daily Word of God

febrero 19, 2025

Wednesday of week 6 in Ordinary Time  

Mark 8:14–21 "Do you not yet understand or comprehend? Are your hearts hardened?"

Genesis 8:6-13, 20-22

Noah saw that the surface of the ground was drying up.

At the end of forty days Noah opened the hatch he had made in the ark,
and he sent out a raven,
to see if the waters had lessened on the earth.
It flew back and forth until the waters dried off from the earth.
Then he sent out a dove,
to see if the waters had lessened on the earth.
But the dove could find no place to alight and perch,
and it returned to him in the ark,
for there was water all over the earth.
Putting out his hand, he caught the dove
and drew it back to him inside the ark.
He waited seven days more and again sent the dove out from the ark.
In the evening the dove came back to him,
and there in its bill was a plucked-off olive leaf!
So Noah knew that the waters had lessened on the earth.
He waited still another seven days
and then released the dove once more;
and this time it did not come back.
In the six hundred and first year of Noah’s life,
in the first month, on the first day of the month,
the water began to dry up on the earth.
Noah then removed the covering of the ark
and saw that the surface of the ground was drying up.
Noah built an altar to the Lord,
and choosing from every clean animal and every clean bird,
he offered burnt offerings on the altar.
When the Lord smelled the sweet odor, he said to himself:
“Never again will I doom the earth because of man
since the desires of man’s heart are evil from the start;
nor will I ever again strike down all living beings, as I have done.
As long as the earth lasts,
seedtime and harvest,
cold and heat,
Summer and winter,
and day and night
shall not cease.”

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 15:2-3a, 3bc-4ab, 5

R./ Who shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord?

He who walks blamelessly and does justice;
who thinks the truth in his heart
and slanders not with his tongue.

R./ Who shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord?

Who harms not his fellow man,
nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor;
By whom the reprobate is despised,
while he honors those who fear the Lord.

R./ Who shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord?

Who lends not his money at usury
and accepts no bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things
shall never be disturbed.

R./ Who shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord?

Gospel Reading: 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?"

Dear Friend,

God is always ready to start anew, as we see in the story of Noah in today’s first reading from Genesis. The ark represents God’s mercy, where all creation is given another chance. As we meditate on Psalm 115, we are reminded:

«Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His faithful ones.»

Every day is a new opportunity—to begin again, to follow through on your best intentions, to let yourself be soaked in the sunlight of God’s grace that dawns in our lives.

Good intentions alone are not enough—without action, they remain just dreams.

Perhaps there are personal changes that you find difficult, that you keep putting off, even though you know they cannot wait any longer. Place them in the ark, like Noah did, and let the Lord help you start fresh.

He believes your life has a future—don’t you?

A similar thing happens in today’s Gospel, where a blind man is healed.

His recovery of sight is gradual, not immediate.

In our spiritual lives, gaining clear vision—seeing our lives as God sees them—is also a slow process. Jesus lays His hands on the blind man twice before he can fully see.

The changes in our lives and in the lives of others happen progressively—slowly but steadily. Like the blind man’s vision, they become clearer over time.

That’s why we must be patient—with ourselves and others.

We must trust in the timing of the Holy Spirit and in His healing and renewing power.

At times, this patience can feel like a burden—but it is in that waiting that we learn the most valuable lessons and experience the most authentic growth.

Today is a good day to ask the Lord to lay His hands on your soul, so you can see better and farther.

Let Him touch you.

This touch of Jesus not only gives us clarity, but it also strengthens us to face our own shadows and turn them into light.

Through prayer and contemplation, we can ask God to guide us on this journey of self-discovery and healing.

But this process of healing is not just for us—it is also for our community.

As we receive God’s grace and clarity, we become beacons of hope and love for those around us.

Our personal transformation has the power to inspire and positively impact others, creating a ripple effect of goodness and faith.

Patience and trust in God teach us to live with gratitude, appreciating every small step forward and celebrating every moment of growth.

Let the Holy Spirit work within you, opening your eyes not just physically, but also the eyes of your heart, so you can see the beauty and truth of God’s creation.

Your brother in faith,

Juan Lozano, C.M.F.

Opening Prayer

Lord God, loving Father,
through Jesus Christ, your living Word
you address yourself today
to each of us personally
and as a community of faith.
May we live as we believe
as hearers and doers of your word,
and like you and your Son,
be compassionate and care
often for those neglected by society,
the needy, the abandoned, the distressed.
We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Liturgy of the Word

First Reading Introduction
James tells us that if we believe in a message of life and hope, real faith and real worship of God consist in doing what we believe in, and in reflecting in our attitude and deeds God's love for us by being concerned about people far and near, especially those who are neglected and suffer much. Is this the kind of faith we have?

General Intercessions

– For the Church, that like Christ it may preach the Good News to the poor and set the downtrodden free, we pray:
– For our friends and enemies in need, that we may open our hearts and hands to improve their lot and to restore their faith in the justice and friendship of people, we pray:
– For those who live in abundance, that they may become more concerned about the needy and the quality of life than about amassing more wealth, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
the message of Jesus, your Son,
became flesh and blood in his life and death.
He lived as he taught.
In this bread and this wine,
we place ourselves and our willingness
to let his death and life
become flesh and blood in us,
that we may proclaim by what we are and do
that he is our Lord and Savior for ever.

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God,
we have listened to your Son
and joined him in his thanks and praise to you.
Come to the aid of our frailty
and let Jesus bring you through us
the pure, unspoiled worship
of helping our brothers and sisters in need
and of breaking the bonds of evil,
that we may be free with the freedom
of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Blessing

Among the signs of God, we have to learn to see the destitute, about whom Jesus says, "What you do to the least of your brothers and sisters, you do to me." They are Jesus for us. May God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit