First Reading

Book of Genesis (Gn 9: 8-15)

Covenant of God with Noah who escaped the flood.

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.”

— The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm

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

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.

Remember that your compassion, O LORD,
and your love are from of old.
In your kindness remember me,
because of your goodness, O LORD.

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.

Second Reading

First Letter of Saint Peter (1 Pt 3: 18-22)

The baptism saves you now.

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.

— The word of the Lord.

Gospel

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

Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark (Mk 1: 12-15)

Jesus was tempted by Satan and the angels ministered to him.

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.”

— The Gospel of the Lord.

First Reading

The Letter of Saint James (Jas 1: 12-18)

God tempts no one.

Blessed is he who perseveres in temptation,
for when he has been proven he will receive the crown of life
that he promised to those who love him.
No one experiencing temptation should say,

“I am being tempted by God”;

for God is not subject to temptation to evil,
and he himself tempts no one.
Rather, each person is tempted when lured and enticed by his desire.
Then desire conceives and brings forth sin,
and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death.

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers and sisters:
all good giving and every perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of lights,
with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change.
He willed to give us birth by the word of truth
that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

— The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 94: 12-13a, 14-15, 18-19

Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.

Blessed the man whom you instruct, O LORD,
whom by your law you teach,
Giving him rest from evil days.

For the LORD will not cast off his people,
nor abandon his inheritance;
But judgment shall again be with justice,
and all the upright of heart shall follow it.

When I say, “My foot is slipping,”
your mercy, O LORD, sustains me;
When cares abound within me,
your comfort gladdens my soul.

Gospel

Alleluia, alleluia.

Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord; and my Father will love him and we will come to him.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark (Mk 8: 14-21)

Guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.

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?”

— The Gospel of the Lord.