This translation is from the New American Bible. The bolded hyperlinks will take you to additional translations. The entire chapter is included to provide context.
Other bolded hyperlinks will take to collections of or meditations on other scriptures related to the principles underlying today’s readings.
Information about the meaning the original Hebrew or Greek of what seem to be key words is provided in blue. They are provided beneath the reading they relate to.
Excerpts collected in yellow at the end of this post tell us something about God’s nature or our relationship to Him.
Excerpts collected in green at the end of this post tell us about something God wants us to do.
Reading I
God said to Noah and to his sons with him: “See, I am now establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you: all the birds, and the various tame and wild animals that were with you and came out of the ark. I will establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all bodily creatures be destroyed by the waters of a flood; there shall not be another flood to devastate the earth.”
God added: “This is the sign that I am giving for all ages to come, of the covenant between me and you and every living creature with you: I set my bow in the clouds to serve as a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth, and the bow appears in the clouds, I will recall the covenant I have made between me and you and all living beings, so that the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all mortal beings.”
covenant = בְּרִית= bᵊrîṯ
alliance, pledge; compact; confederacy; league; eating together
Responsorial Psalm
R. (cf. 10) Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me; teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior.
R. Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.
Remember that your compassion, O LORD, and your love are from of old.
In your kindness remember me, because of your goodness, O LORD.
R. Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.
Good and upright is the LORD, thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice, and he teaches the humble his way.
R. Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.
keep = נָצַר= nāṣar
watch over; observe, guard with fidelity; to be kept close, be blockaded;protect, maintain, obey; preserve
covenant = בְּרִית= bᵊrîṯ
alliance, pledge; compact; confederacy; league; eating together
humble = עָנָו=ʿānāv
poor, humble, afflicted, meek; lowly; miserable
Reading II
Beloved:
Christ suffered for sins once, the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that he might lead you to God. Put to death in the flesh, he was brought to life in the Spirit.
In it he also went to preach to the spirits in prison, who had once been disobedient while God patiently waited in the days of Noah during the building of the ark, in which a few persons, eight in all, were saved through water.
This prefigured baptism, which saves you now. It is not a removal of dirt from the body but an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.
Verse Before the Gospel
One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
Gospel
The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him.
After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
repent = μετανοέω = metanoeō
“to perceive afterwards” (meta, "after," implying "change," noeo, "to perceive;" nous, "the mind, the seat of moral reflection... hence signifies "to change one's mind or purpose;" to change one's mind for better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one's past sins; reconsider; to feel sorry that one has done this or that
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
perceive afterwards; concur subsequently; change one's mind or purpose
believe = πιστεύω = pisteuō
"to be persuaded of," and hence, "to place confidence in, to trust," signifies, in this sense of the word, reliance upon, not mere credence; to entrust, commit to; to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in; the conviction and trust to which a man is impelled by a certain inner and higher prerogative and law of soul; credit; to have a faith directed unto, believing or in faith to give oneself up to; to commit oneself trustfully
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
trust, put faith in, rely on; comply; feel confident that a thing is
What these readings tell us about God/His ways:
I am now establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you and with every living creature
I will establish my covenant with you
the covenant between me and you and every living creature
the covenant between me and the earth
the covenant I have made between me and you and all living beings
Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth
your truth
you are God my savior.
Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth
that your compassion, O LORD, and your love are from of old
your kindness
your goodness
Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth
Good and upright is the LORD
he shows sinners the way
He guides the humble to justice
he teaches the humble his way
Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth
Christ suffered for sins once, the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that he might lead you to God
Put to death in the flesh, he was brought to life in the Spirit
he also went to preach to the spirits in prison, who had once been disobedient
God patiently waited
the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him
One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God
The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert
he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan
the angels ministered to him
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God
The kingdom of God is at hand
What these readings tell us to do:
keep your covenant
keep your covenant
keep your covenant
humble
humble
keep your covenant
Repent
believe in the gospel
