Feb. 17 and Feb. 18, Lectionary 338, 339

Scripture: Lectionary 338: Genesis 9:1-13. Psalm 102:16-18.19-21.29.22-23.
Mark 8:27-33:

We continue the readings from Genesis with the Yahwist as our inspired
tradition. Therefore, the story-telling is easy to follow since it down to
earth. An essential part of the pericope is that it speaks of the covenant
God made with Noah. Gentiles are included in this covenant and we are
considered as righteous or saintly when we observe the Noachian laws.
There are seven basic laws in this covenant: prohibition against
blasphemy, idolatry, sexual immorality, murder, robbery, eating a portion
of a living animal, and an injunction concerning how to administert
justice. "A gentile who observes the Noachian Laws acknowledging their
divine source, was considered a pious man who merited the kingdom of
heaven." (Sanhedrin 105a).

We can easily follow today's narrative which has God relating to us through
Noah as a friend. This was one of the main points brought out in the
Decree on Revelation, namely, that God and Moses related to one another as
friends, hence, once again the respect we should have for the Torah and the
covenant given to Moses as well as the one to Abraham, and now Noah. God is
compassionate and loving and does not want to destroy humankind anymore
after the flood. The rainbow is given in the sky as a sign of the
covenant. We see the importance of understanding symbolic language, poetic
description, and also a foundation on some historical events as we read
through the eleven chapters of Genesis on origins and primitive history.

Noah can be interpreted as a righteous person though there is doubt and
disagreement among the rabbis on whether he really was because of later
incidents in his life after the flood. However, we focus on the sacred
time of his life when he immediately offered sacrifice to God on an altar
in thanksgiving. The word sacrifice can imply forgiveness, merit,
blessing, and life which as an anacronym is associated with the Hebrew word
"mizbeach" or sacrifice.

God's love is seen in everyone of the covenants that God makes with Israel
and with those who follow the precepts of the Torah. Hope and trust are
part of our response to the covenant we make with God through our baptismal
covenant which gives us the three virtues that relate us to God
(theological virtues) faith, hope, and love. The flood waters and the
dove with the olive branch easily remind us in the liturgy of our own
baptismal covenant given with water and the invocation of the Trinity:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This covenant enlivens our spiritual life
and enables us to witness to the Lord God the Creator and to his Son, the
Redeemer, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Scripture: Lectionary 339. Genesis 11:1-9. Psalm 33:10-11.12-13.14-15. Mark
8:34-9:1:

The primitive history of beginnings is coming to an end with another tragic
narrative about the Tower of Babel. Our pericope tells of this building
which was erected after the flood and brought about the dispersion of the
human race into different countries with the mixing up of languages through
this departure. Babel refers to the confusion of speech because of the
rebellion of humans as a whole against God. We read this in the
Encylopedia of the Jewish Religion: "Although etymologically "Babel"
probably means Bab-ili "gate of God", the Bible derives it from the Hebrew
root balal "to confuse." The polemical point of the story was probably
inspired by the high-temple towers (ziggurat) in Babylonia. Talmudic
comment ascribes a variety of motives to the builders of the Tower,
dwelling upon the arrogance and heartlessness of the people branded as the
genration of secession." (Enc. of Jewish Religion, p. 54).

Disunity among diversity is the end result of such pride and insult to the
Creator. Though the narrative is fascinating as we come to the end of the
chapters on beginnings, it is tragic and symbolically explains a lot in the
succeeding generations of the human race.

Reading the story in the context of the Psalm and its response we find an
interpretation that fits the above pericope from Genesis 11:1-9: "The Lord
brings to nought the plans of the nations; he foils the designs of peoples.
But the plan of the Lord stands forever; the design of his heart, through
all generations."

In an upper room in Jerusalem Jesus' disciples gathered to be at prayer and
to be of one heart and one soul. They await the coming of the Spirit to
offset the Babel that lies outside the doors of the upper room. They find
unity amidst diversity when they leave that room and speak in a language
that all of the offshoots of Babel understand. Pentecost overturns Babel.
The mission of the apostles is to bring unity and peace to the world
through the Good News of Jesus. Amen.