Daily Gospel – Thursday, February 13, 2025 – Mark 7,24-30 – Catholic Bible

First Reading (Genesis 2,18-25).

Reading of the Book of Genesis.

The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will give him a helper like him.” Then the Lord God formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them; every living being would have the name that Adam gave it. And Adam gave names to all the domestic animals, to all the birds of the air and to all the wild animals, but Adam did not find a helper like him. Then the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam. When he took one of his ribs and closed the place with meat. Then, from the rib taken from Adam, the Lord God formed the woman and led her to Adam. And Adam exclaimed, “This time, yes, it is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh! She will be called ‘woman’ because she was taken from man.” Therefore a man will leave his father and his mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. Now they were both naked, Adam and his wife, and they were not ashamed.

– Word of the Lord.

– Thank God.

Gospel (Mark 7,24-30).

Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark.

— Glory to you, Lord.

At that time, Jesus left there and went to the region of Tire and Sidonia. He entered a house and didn’t want anyone to know where he was. But he couldn’t stay hidden. A woman, who had a daughter with an unclean spirit, heard about Jesus. He went to him and fell at his feet. The woman was a pagan, born in Phoenicia in Syria. She begged Jesus to cast the demon out of her daughter. Jesus said, “First let the children be satisfied, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” The woman replied: “That’s true, Lord; but also the dogs, under the table, eat the crumbs that the children drop.” Then Jesus said, “Because of what you have just said, you can go home. The devil has already left your daughter.” She returned home and found her daughter lying in bed, as the demon had already left her.

— Word of Salvation.

— Glory to you, Lord.

Reflecting the Word of God

My brothers and sisters,
Let us begin our reflection with an image that is familiar to everyone: a hug. Think about how a hug can convey comfort, acceptance and love. It is in the warmth of this simple gesture that we often find the strength to face life’s challenges. And today, the readings we have just heard lead us to reflect on something deeply rooted in our human experience: love, communion, and the search for acceptance and belonging.

In the First Reading, from the book of Genesis, we are taken to the beginning of everything, to the garden of Eden, where God, when creating man, realizes that he is alone. “It is not good for man to be alone. I will give you an assistant similar to him.” These divine words echo in our hearts to this day, as all of us, at some point, experience the desire to have someone by our side, someone who understands and complements us.

God then forms all the animals and takes them to Adam, but none of them are enough to fill the void of his loneliness. And here we find something fascinating: man only recognizes his true need when he realizes that nothing in the created world can replace it. It is at this moment that God does something extraordinary. He makes Adam fall into a deep sleep, takes one of his ribs and, from it, creates the woman. When Adam awakens, his joy is evident: “This time, yes, it is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh!”

This moment is much more than the creation of Eve; it is the creation of communion. God not only met Adam’s need, but revealed to him the value of relationship, complementarity and union. The woman, taken from his rib, symbolizes that she is at his side, neither above nor below. She is equal in dignity, but different, like a divine reflection of harmony in differences. This passage teaches us that God created us to live in relationship, not in isolation.

Now, my brothers and sisters, let us transition to the Gospel of Mark. Here we find a very different story, but one that also talks about communion and the transformative power of faith. Jesus is in Tyre, a land of Gentiles, outside the limits of Israel. He enters a house, perhaps seeking rest and anonymity, but his presence does not go unnoticed. A Syrophoenician woman, foreign and marginalized, approaches Him with a desperate request: her daughter is possessed by an unclean spirit, and she believes that Jesus can cure her.

The dialogue between the two is, at first glance, disconcerting. Jesus says: “First let the children be satisfied, because it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” This response seems harsh, but we shouldn’t see it as an insult. Instead, Jesus uses this image to reflect the common view of the time: Gentiles were not considered part of the covenant of Israel. However, the woman is not offended. She, with humility and intelligence, responds: “It’s true, Lord; but also the dogs, under the table, eat the crumbs that the children drop.”

What an impressive response! She does not argue against Israel’s priority in salvation history, but demonstrates her faith by accepting even the “crumbs” of divine grace. And that’s exactly what Jesus wants to hear. He sees the depth of her faith and immediately grants what she asked for. Your daughter is healed.

This passage is powerful because it teaches us many lessons. First, it shows us that God’s grace is not limited by cultural, ethnic, or religious boundaries. God’s love is universal and available to all who seek it with faith. Second, it challenges us to reflect on our own humility. How many times in our lives do we demand from God what we think we deserve, instead of approaching with a humble heart, accepting even the crumbs of His grace?

Now, let’s connect these two readings and bring them into our lives today. What do they have in common? Both speak of a God who sees our needs and meets them in surprising ways. In Genesis, God creates communion between man and woman, showing that we were made to live in relationship. In the Gospel, Jesus breaks cultural and religious barriers, responding to the faith of a foreign woman and demonstrating that true communion knows no limits.

Let us think for a moment about our own lives. How many times have we felt alone, like Adam in the garden, or desperate, like the Syrophoenician woman? At times like these, we may ask ourselves, “Does God really care about me?” The answer lies in these readings: yes, God cares. He knows our needs before we express them and is always willing to welcome us, whether in the garden of Eden or in a foreign home in Tyre.

But here’s the challenge: How are we responding to God’s love and grace? In our current society, we often prioritize individualism, forgetting that we were created for communion. Are we cultivating meaningful relationships? Are we opening ourselves to welcome others, even those who are different from us, as Jesus welcomed the Syrophoenician woman?

Imagine for a moment a large banquet table. In the human view, we often divide the table, reserving the best seats for those we consider most important. But in God’s view, there are no divisions. Everyone has a place. Everyone is invited. And all receive not just crumbs, but the fullness of the bread of life.

My sisters and my brothers, God invites us today to reflect on our own openness to communion. In our families, are we living the harmony and respect that God desired when he created man and woman? In our communities, are we willing to cross cultural, social or religious barriers to welcome those who seek God with a sincere heart?

I invite you to think of your lives as a bridge. A bridge connects separate banks, allowing people to cross safely. Likewise, we are called to be bridges between God and others, between different cultures, between those who have and those who have nothing.

Closing our reflection, let us remember that God not only invites us to communion, but also equips us with His grace to live it fully. When we feel like we are unable to forgive, welcome, or love, we can trust His strength to manifest itself in our weakness. And like the Syrophoenician woman, we must persevere in faith, even when answers seem slow or difficult.

May we leave here today with a renewed heart, ready to live the communion that God dreamed of for us since Eden. May we be light to those who are in darkness and bread to those who are hungry, always trusting that, at God’s table, there is room for everyone. Amen.