MONDAY OF THE SIXTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Mark 8:11-13) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

“He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said, 'Why does this generation seek a sign?’” (Mk 8:12)

FIRST READING - Genesis 4:1-15, 25

A reading from the Book of Genesis

The man had relations with his wife Eve,

and she conceived and bore Cain, saying,

“I have produced a man with the help of the LORD.”

Next she bore his brother Abel.

Abel became a keeper of flocks, and Cain a tiller of the soil.

In the course of time Cain brought an offering to the LORD

from the fruit of the soil,

while Abel, for his part,

brought one of the best firstlings of his flock.

The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,

but on Cain and his offering he did not.

Cain greatly resented this and was crestfallen.

So the LORD said to Cain:

“Why are you so resentful and crestfallen.

If you do well, you can hold up your head;

but if not, sin is a demon lurking at the door:

his urge is toward you, yet you can be his master.”

Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out in the field.”

When they were in the field,

Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

Then the LORD asked Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”

He answered, “I do not know.

Am I my brother’s keeper?”

The LORD then said: “What have you done!

Listen: your brother’s blood cries out to me from the soil!

Therefore you shall be banned from the soil

that opened its mouth to receive

your brother’s blood from your hand.

If you till the soil, it shall no longer give you its produce.

You shall become a restless wanderer on the earth.”

Cain said to the LORD: “My punishment is too great to bear.

Since you have now banished me from the soil,

and I must avoid your presence

and become a restless wanderer on the earth,

anyone may kill me at sight.”

“Not so!” the LORD said to him.

“If anyone kills Cain, Cain shall be avenged sevenfold.”

So the LORD put a mark on Cain, lest anyone should kill him at sight.

Adam again had relations with his wife,

and she gave birth to a son whom she called Seth.

“God has granted me more offspring in place of Abel,” she said,

“because Cain slew him.”

GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Mark 8:11-13

From the Gospel according to Mark

The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with Jesus,

seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.

He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said,

“Why does this generation seek a sign?

Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.”

Then he left them, got into the boat again,

and went off to the other shore.

MONDAY OF THE SIXTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Mark 8:11-13)

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear People of God,

Today's Word of God talks about the Pharisees demanding a sign from heaven from Jesus to test Him.

When Jesus came to earth to become a human being, He preached about the Kingdom of Heaven and performed many miracles. The greatest miracle that God gave to mankind was that, out of love, He allowed His Son to abandon the glory of the Kingdom of Heaven and take on the form of a servant, becoming like a human being except for sin.

Yet we do not believe. Why is that? Because we believe we are highly educated and know everything; we can look at the scenery of the earth and sky and predict when it will rain, or when it will be sunny. But for God, that is not important. The important thing is that God wants us to believe in Him through His public life on earth, with the miracles that Jesus performed right before our eyes.

He healed many sick, lame, blind, and deaf people; He performed the miracle of multiplying loaves of bread—taking five loaves of bread and feeding more than five thousand men. This is something that only God can do, but people do not believe.

God warns that those who are not humble, self-effacing, and who do not recognize themselves as lowly before God will never see any of His miracles, even if they happen right before their eyes. Furthermore, they are mortals, created from dust and loved by God, yet they dare to test God. This is the sin of blasphemy, as Jesus taught: '"You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.'" Because of testing God, '"no sign will be given to this generation,"' as Jesus sighed and said to them.

In today's world, the miracle of Jesus is still manifested on the Cross, where Jesus, the Son of God, died and was lifted up. From that source of love, grace continues to pour down upon humanity. Through faith, when we look up at Jesus hanging on the Cross, we will receive miracles.

Among the children of mankind, many have been transformed by looking up at the Cross of Jesus: from people hardened in sin, they have tasted the Love of God and been healed of their illnesses, both of soul and body, they have learned how to fear God and have compassion for others.

Today's Word of God teaches us that God's miracles always shine and come down to everyone, but not everyone realizes them.

Only those who know how to live with faith, hope, and love, who live the beatitudes in the Gospel and practice God's commandments, will receive miracles that are manifested in themselves, in others, in the universe, and in all creatures that God has created.

They will know how to open their hearts to receive God's grace with simple wonder, like a child entering life, instead of being callous and indifferent to God's grace.

Thanks be to God. Amen.