Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're
taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year. Today's reading is from the Gospel
of Matthew chapter 16 and the Gospel of Mark
chapter 9. Matthew chapter 16. Then the Pharisees
and Sadducees came, and testing him, asked that
he would show them a sign from heaven. He answered
and said to them, When it is evening, you say,
it will be fair weather, for the sky is red.
And in the morning it will be foul weather today,
for the sky is red and threatening. Hypocrites,
you know how to discern the face of the sky,
but you cannot discern the signs of the times.
A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after
a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except
the sign of the prophet Jonah. And he left them
and departed. Now when his disciples had come
to the other side, they had forgotten to take
bread. Do you not understand or remember the
five loaves of the five thousand, and how many
baskets you took up? Nor the seven loaves of
the four thousand, and how many large baskets
you took up? How is it you do not understand
that I did not speak to you concerning bread,
but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees
and Sadducees? Then they understood that he did
not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread,
but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi,
he asked his disciples saying, Who do men say
that I, the Son of Man, am? So they said, Some
say John the Baptist, some Elijah. and others
Jeremiah or one of the prophets. He said to them,
But who do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered
and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the
living God. Jesus answered and said to him, Blessed
are you, Simon Bar -Yuna, for flesh and blood
has not revealed this to you, but my Father who
is in heaven. And I also say to you that you
are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church,
and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against
it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom
of heaven. and whatever you bind on earth will
be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on
earth will be loosed in heaven. Then he commanded
his disciples that they should tell no one that
he was Jesus the Christ. From that time Jesus
began to show to his disciples that he must go
to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the
elders and chief priests and scribes, and be
killed and be raised the third day. Then Peter
took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying,
Far be it from you, Lord. This shall not happen
to you. But he turned and said to Peter, Get
behind me, Satan. You are an offense to me, for
you are not mindful of the things of God, but
the things of men. Then Jesus said to his disciples,
If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny
himself and take up his cross and follow me.
For whoever desires to save his life will lose
it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will
find it. 9. Mark Chapter 9 And he said to them,
Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing
here who will not taste death till they see the
kingdom of God present with power. Now, after
six days, Jesus took Peter, James and John and
led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves.
And he was transfigured before them. His clothes
became shining exceedingly white like snow, such
as no launderer on earth can whiten them. And
a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is
my beloved son, hear him. Suddenly, when they
had looked around, they saw no one anymore but
only Jesus with themselves. Now as they came
down from the mountain, he commanded them that
they should tell no one the things they had seen
till the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
So they kept this word to themselves, questioning
what the rising from the dead meant. And they
asked him, saying, Why do the scribes say that
Elijah must come first? Then he answered and
told them, Indeed, Elijah is coming first and
restores all things. And how is it written concerning
the Son of Man, that he must suffer many things
and be treated with contempt? But I say to you
that Elijah has also come, and they did to him
whatever they wished, as it is written of him.
And when he came to the disciples, he saw a great
multitude around them and scribes disputing with
them. Immediately when they saw him, all the
people were greatly amazed, and running to him,
greeted him. And he asked the scribes, What are
you discussing with them? Then one of the crowd
answered and said, Teacher, I brought you my
son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes
him, it throws him down. He foams at the mouth,
gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke
to your disciples that they should cast it out,
but they could not. He answered them and said,
O faithless generation, how long shall I be with
you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him
to me. Then they brought him to him, and when
he saw him, immediately the spirit convulsed
him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed,
foaming at the mouth. So he asked his father,
How long has this been happening to him? And
he said, From childhood. And often he has thrown
him both into the fire and into the water to
destroy him. But if you can do anything, have
compassion on us and help us. Jesus said to him,
If you can believe, all things are possible to
him who believes. Immediately the father of the
child cried out and said with tears, Lord, I
believe, help my unbelief. When Jesus saw that
the people came running together, he rebuked
the unclean spirit, saying to it, Deaf and dumb
spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter
him no more. Then the spirit cried out, convulsed
him greatly, and came out of him. And he became
as one dead, so that many said, He is dead. But
Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up,
and he arose. And when he had come into the house,
his disciples asked him privately, Why could
we not cast it out? So he said to them, This
kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.
Then they departed from there and passed through
Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know it.
For he taught his disciples and said to them,
The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands
of men, and they will kill him. And after he
is killed, he will rise the third day. But they
did not understand this saying and were afraid
to ask him. Then he came to Capernaum, and when
he was in the house, he asked them, What was
it you disputed among yourselves on the road?
But they kept silent, for on the road they had
disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.
And he sat down, called the twelve, and said
to them, If anyone desires to be first, he shall
be last of all and servant of all. Then he took
a little child and set him in the midst of them.
And when he had taken him in his arms, he said
to them, Whoever receives one of these little
children in my name receives me, and whoever
receives me receives not me, but him who sent
me. Now John answered them, saying, Teacher,
we saw someone who does not follow us, casting
out demons in your name. And we forbade him because
he does not follow us. But Jesus said, But whoever
causes one of these little ones, who believe
in me, to stumble, it would be better for him
if a millstone were hung around his neck and
he were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes
you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you
to enter into life maimed rather than having
two hands to go to hell into the fire that shall
never be quenched, where the worm does not die
and the fire is not quenched. But if your foot
causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for
you to enter life maimed rather than having two
feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that
shall never be quenched, where their worm does
not die and the fire is not quenched. And if
your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It
is better for you to enter the kingdom of God
with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to
be cast into hell fire, where their worm does
not die and the fire is not quenched. For everyone
will be seasoned with fire. and every sacrifice
will be seasoned with salt. Salt is good, but
if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season
it? Have salt in yourselves and have peace with
one another. I hope you enjoyed today's reading
as much as I did, and I look forward to seeing
you again tomorrow to continue on our journey.
God bless you and have a great day.