Monday, February 20
Reading
James 3: 13 - 18
Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good life let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.
This wisdom is not such as comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish.
For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, without uncertainty or insincerity.
And the harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Rsponsorial Psalm
Psalms 19: 8 - 10, 15
The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever; the ordinances of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.
MMore to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
Gospel
Mark 9: 14 - 29
When they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd about them, and scribes arguing with them.
And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed, and ran up to him and greeted him.
He asked them,
"What are you discussing with them?"
One of the crowd answered him, "Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a dumb spirit;
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."
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."
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.
Jesus asked his father,
"How long has he had this?"
And he said, "From childhood.
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."
Jesus said to him,
"If you can! All things are possible to him who believes."
Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "I believe; help my unbelief!"
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."
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."
But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.
When he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?"
He said to them,
"This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer."
