Daily Readings

Reading I:  Gn 9:8-15

God said to Noah and to his sons with him: 
“See, I am now establishing my covenant with you 
and your descendants after you 
and with every living creature that was with you: 
all the birds, and the various tame and wild animals 
that were with you and came out of the ark.
I will establish my covenant with you, 
that never again shall all bodily creatures be destroyed
by the waters of a flood; 
there shall not be another flood to devastate the earth.”
God added:
“This is the sign that I am giving for all ages to come, 
of the covenant between me and you 
and every living creature with you: 
I set my bow in the clouds to serve as a sign
of the covenant between me and the earth.
When I bring clouds over the earth, 
and the bow appears in the clouds, 
I will recall the covenant I have made
between me and you and all living beings, 
so that the waters shall never again become a flood 
to destroy all mortal beings.”
 

Responsorial Psalm:  Ps 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R. (cf. 10) Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
    teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
    for you are God my savior.
R. Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.
Remember that your compassion, O LORD,
    and your love are from of old.
In your kindness remember me,
    because of your goodness, O LORD.
R. Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.
Good and upright is the LORD,
    thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
    and he teaches the humble his way.
R. Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.
 

Reading II:  1 Pt 3:18-22

Beloved:
Christ suffered for sins once, 
the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, 
that he might lead you to God.
Put to death in the flesh, 
he was brought to life in the Spirit.
In it he also went to preach to the spirits in prison, 
who had once been disobedient 
while God patiently waited in the days of Noah 
during the building of the ark, 
in which a few persons, eight in all,
were saved through water.
This prefigured baptism, which saves you now.
It is not a removal of dirt from the body 
but an appeal to God for a clear conscience, 
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
who has gone into heaven
and is at the right hand of God, 
with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.

Verse Before the Gospel:  Mt 4:4b

One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.

Gospel:  Mk 1:12-15

The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, 
and he remained in the desert for forty days,
tempted by Satan.
He was among wild beasts,
and the angels ministered to him.

After John had been arrested, 
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God:
“This is the time of fulfillment.
The kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
 

Father Kirk's Daily Lenten Reflection
1st Sunday of Lent, February 21, 2021

One day a duck walked into a bar and asked, "Got any grapes?"  The bartender said "Grapes? No, this is a bar, we don’t sell fruit. Now, get out."
The next day the duck came back, "Got any grapes?”  The bartender said "Look, I told you to get out. Quit coming in here asking for grapes. The next time you do I'm going to nail your beak to a barstool.”  The very next day the duck came back and asked, "Can I borrow a hammer?"  The bartender was furious.  He said, "What's with you? Does this look like a hardware store? It's a bar! We don't have any hammers here!"  The Duck grinned and said, "Good. Got any grapes?"

Inane and stupid story but it illustrates in a humorous fashion the annoying power of persistence – the duck was above all persistent.

As we begin the season of Lent the church places before us the image of Jesus being relentlessly tempted by the devil.  Like the duck – Satan is sly and cunning and deviously creative and persistent.  Undeterred the devil will stop at nothing.  Satan will come at us again and again and again.

We must be like Christ who through vigilance, prayer, and perseverance resisted Satan and all of his trickery and “empty show.” 

May the grace and power of Christ sustain us in our moments of trial and temptation.