6th Week in Ordinary Time
13th February 2023 (Monday) Readings and Reflection
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Reading of the Day
First Reading: Genesis 4:1-15, 25
Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, "I have produced a man with the help of the Lord." And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. The Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it." Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He said, "I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?" And the Lord said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground. And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth." Cain said to the Lord, "My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me." Then the Lord said to him, "Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold." And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him. And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, "God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him."
Psalm 50:1 and 8, 16bc-17, 20-21 (R. See 14a)
R/. Give your praise as a sacrifice to God.
Gospel : Mark 8:11-13
At that time: The Pharisees came and began to argue with Jesus, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation." And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side.
Daily Gospel Reflection
The Reflection by Fr. Thumma Mariadas Reddy MSFS{alertWarning}
Main Theme: Demand for signs?
Indicative: True faith does not seek and demand signs from heaven. A deep faith does not depend upon favours and blessings alone{alertSuccess}
1. Jesus invites all to believe in him and be saved. But the Pharisees want a sign to prove his identity and credentials. They argue with Jesus. Seeking a sign in itself is not wrong. We see that in the gospel of John, miracles are called ‘signs’. So, signs are important and they are given.
2. But the whole problem is concerning the motive and purpose of seeking them, the kind of signs, and the openness to recognise them. They demanded signs with the motive of testing him. They forgot that the purpose of signs is to strengthen faith.
3. Their purpose was to strengthen their unfaith. Seeking a sign was a pretext not to have faith in him. They would easily justify that they did not believe because there was no sufficient evidence. Thus their very motive was vitiated. It was “not to trust him and only to test him”.
4. A genuine seeking of signs indicates that we face a difficult situation that is beyond our human capacity to resolve. It indicates that we realise our human insufficiency. We turn to God. We depend on His intervention. We trust in His love. Thus a sign is meant to deepen our faith in God and our relationship with Him.
5. We also need to understand what is a sign. Often like the Pharisees, there is a tendency to equate signs with miracles and favours. They are also signs as they manifest God’s power and intervention. But signs are not only they and we shall not expect them always.
6. But there are many general and regular signs in the form of insight, message, inspiration, comfort, encouragement, guidance, caution, and discernment or forbearance and surrender. In different problematic or unclear situations in life, these signs help us either to resolve and overcome the difficulty if possible or surrender and bear with patience.
7. Thus a sign essentially is an indicator, a pointer, a signpost, or an aid from the above. It is a light that illumines our path and guides us. A sign is not a tool to evade our responsibility but a way to deeper commitment. Through signs, God helps us to help ourselves. In this sense, signs are never lacking. They always abound.
8. But we need to be open to see and recognise them. The Pharisees could not see them. Even if they saw, they would not accept them. The reason was their prejudice and jealousy against Jesus. This negative mindset was a block to see and accept signs, of which Jesus himself was the biggest sign.
9. In the light of the first reading, this was because of the lack of fraternity and benevolence. Cain killed his own brother Abel because of the lack of fraternal love and benevolence. His fraternity and benevolence were dominated and clouded by prejudice and jealousy.
Imperative: There are still plenty of signs of God’s power and goodness in different ways. But we need to deepen our humility and trust in Him on one hand, and also a sense of fraternity and benevolence on the other hand{alertSuccess}