Catholic Daily Reading and Devotional 19 February 2020

Catholic Daily Reading and Devotional 19 February 2020

Daily Reading for Wednesday February 19, 2020
Reading 1, James 1:19-27
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 15:2-3, 3-4, 5
Gospel, Mark 8:22-26

Reading 1, James 1:19-27
19 Remember this, my dear brothers: everyone should be quick to listen but slow to speak and slow to human anger;

20 God’s saving justice is never served by human anger;

21 so do away with all impurities and remnants of evil. Humbly welcome the Word which has been planted in you and can save your souls.

22 But you must do what the Word tells you and not just listen to it and deceive yourselves.

23 Anyone who listens to the Word and takes no action is like someone who looks at his own features in a mirror and,

24 once he has seen what he looks like, goes off and immediately forgets it.

25 But anyone who looks steadily at the perfect law of freedom and keeps to it — not listening and forgetting, but putting it into practice — will be blessed in every undertaking.

26 Nobody who fails to keep a tight rein on the tongue can claim to be religious; this is mere self-deception; that person’s religion is worthless.

27 Pure, unspoilt religion, in the eyes of God our Father, is this: coming to the help of orphans and widows in their hardships, and keeping oneself uncontaminated by the world.

Catholic Daily Reading and Devotional 19 February 2020

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 15:2-3, 3-4, 5
2 Whoever lives blamelessly, who acts uprightly, who speaks the truth from the heart,

3 who keeps the tongue under control, who does not wrong a comrade, who casts no discredit on a neighbour,

4 who looks with scorn on the vile, but honours those who fear Yahweh, who stands by an oath at any cost,

5 who asks no interest on loans, who takes no bribe to harm the innocent. No one who so acts can ever be shaken.

Gospel, Mark 8:22-26
22 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought to him a blind man whom they begged him to touch.

23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. Then, putting spittle on his eyes and laying his hands on him, he asked, ‘Can you see anything?’

24 The man, who was beginning to see, replied, ‘I can see people; they look like trees as they walk around.’

25 Then he laid his hands on the man’s eyes again and he saw clearly; he was cured, and he could see everything plainly and distinctly.

26 And Jesus sent him home, saying, ‘Do not even go into the village.’

Devotional Below;

Topic: Tongue-tied?’

Scripture: Know this, my dear brothers and sisters: everyone should be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger… – James 1:19

Message: Most likely, we were told when we were growing up that if we would become angry at someone, or some situation, we should take a deep breath and count to ten before we talked. If we had a really strong temper, make that fifteen. Once words are spoken, we may regret them, but then they are never again able to be unspoken.

St. James is known for his teaching about controlling our tongues. He says the tongue is a small member, but it affects us mightily. Serious disagreements and fights can lead to dire consequences, and usually the problems start with words.

There was once an elderly rabbi who kept his patience and controlled his temper, even when unfairly criticized. When someone would confront his views, he would often calmly say, “You may be right.” Indirectly, he was informing his critic that he may not be right.

Prayer: Lord, may our words be filled with kindness and understanding.

See Previous Daily Reading and Devotional Here

Catholic Daily Reading and Devotional 19 February 2020