DAILY READINGS & REFLECTION

FEBRUARY 24, 2025

MONDAY OF THE SEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

FIRST READING

SIRACH 1:1-10

1 All wisdom comes from the Lord and is with him for ever. 2 The sand of the sea, the drops of rain, and the days of eternity who can count them? 3 The height of heaven, the breadth of the earth, the abyss, and wisdom who can search them out? 4 Wisdom was created before all things, and prudent understanding from eternity. 5 The root of wisdom to whom has it been revealed? Her clever devices who knows them? 6 There is One who is wise, greatly to be feared, sitting upon his throne. 7 The Lord himself created wisdom; he saw her and apportioned her, he poured her out upon all his works. 8 She dwells with all flesh according to his gift, and he supplied her to those who love him. 9 The fear of the Lord is glory and exultation, and gladness and a crown of rejoicing. 10 The fear of the Lord delights the heart, and gives gladness and joy and long life.

The Word of the Lord
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RESPONSORIAL PSALM

PSALMS 92(93):1-2, 5

Response: The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.

The LORD reigns; he is robed in majesty;
the LORD is robed, he is girded with strength.

R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.

Yea, the world is established; it shall never be moved;
thy throne is established from of old;
thou art from everlasting.

Thy decrees are very sure;
holiness befits thy house,
O LORD, for evermore.

R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
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GOSPEL

All things are possible to him who believes

MARK 9:14-29

14 And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd about them, and scribes arguing with them. 15 And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed, and ran up to him and greeted him. 16 And he asked them, "What are you discussing with them?" 17 And one of the crowd answered him, "Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a dumb spirit; 18 and wherever it seizes him, it dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able." 19 And he answered them, "O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me." 20 And they brought the boy to him; and when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth.

21 And Jesus asked his father, "How long has he had this?" And he said, "From childhood. 22 And it has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us." 23 And Jesus said to him, "If you can! All things are possible to him who believes." 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "I believe; help my unbelief!" 25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You dumb and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again." 26 And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse; so that most of them said, "He is dead." 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28 And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?" 29 And he said to them, "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer."

The Gospel of the Lord
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REFLECTION

DAILY QUOTE FROM THE EARLY CHURCH FATHERS

Emerging faith seeks maturity, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"In saying, 'When the Son of Man shall come, shall he find faith upon the earth?' our Lord spoke of that faith which is fully matured, which is so seldom found on earth. The church's faith is full, for who would come here if there were no fullness of faith? And whose faith when fully matured would not move mountains (Matthew 17:20; 21:22)? Look at the apostles themselves, who would not have left all they had, trodden under foot this world's hope, and followed the Lord, if they had not had proportionally great faith. And yet if they had already experienced a completely matured faith, they would have not said to the Lord, 'Increase our faith' (Luke 17:5). Rather we find here an emerging faith, which is not yet full faith, in that father who when he had presented to the Lord his son to be cured of an evil spirit and was asked whether he believed, answered, 'Lord, I believe, help me in my unbelief' (Mark 9:24). 'Lord,' says he, 'I believe.' 'I believe': therefore there was faith; but 'help me in my unbelief': therefore there was not full faith (Hebrews 10:22)."

(excerpt from SERMONS ON NEW TESTAMENT LESSONS 65)
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Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)
The Revised Standard Version of the Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1965, 1966 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.