Daily Readings for February 12, 2015

1ST READING

God creates woman to teach us that humanity exists in a complementary state of man and woman. There is fullness of humanity when man and woman are together. Humanity cannot fully reflect the image of God without the potential of being co-creators of life. Sexuality is essential to our being human. It is important to respect our sexuality and protect it from degradation. Our sexuality speaks deeply about who we are and how we are to relate with both the human community and with God.

Genesis 2:18-25

18 The Lord God said: “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a suitable partner for him.” 19 So the Lord God formed out of the ground various wild animals and various birds of the air, and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them; whatever the man called each of them would be its name. 20 The man gave names to all the cattle, all the birds of the air, and all the wild animals; but none proved to be the suitable partner for the man. 21 So the Lord God cast a deep sleep on the man, and while he was asleep, he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 The Lord God then built up into a woman the rib that he had taken from the man. When he brought her to the man, 23 the man said: “This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called ‘woman,’ for out of ‘her man’ this one has been taken.” 24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one flesh. 25 The man and his wife were both naked, yet they felt no shame.

P S A L M

Psalm 128:1-2, 3, 4-5

R: Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

1 Blessed are you who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways! 2 For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork; blessed shall you be, and favored. (R) 3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the recesses of your home; Your children like olive plants around your table. (R) 4 Behold, thus is the man blessed who fears the Lord. 5 The Lord bless you from Zion: may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. (R)

GOSPEL

In the miraculous healing of the Syrophoenician woman’s daughter, Jesus teaches that the blessings and promises of the Gospel are not just for the Jewish people. The Jews were surprised because they considered themselves as the chosen ones of God. This is why the Jews failed to accept the Gospel. Their mindset would not have been conducive to the idea that salvation was available to all men and women.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls.

Mark 7:24-30

24 Jesus went to the district of Tyre. He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it, but he could not escape notice. 25 Soon a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him. She came and fell at his feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth, and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter. 27 He said to her, “Let the children be fed first. For it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” 28 She replied and said to him, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.” 29 Then he said to her, “For saying this, you may go. The demon has gone out of your daughter.” 30 When the woman went home, she found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.

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