Gospel of February 15, 2023 with the comment of Pope Francis

READING OF THE DAY From the book of Genesis Gen 4,1: 15.25-XNUMX: Adam knew his wife Eve, who conceived and gave birth to Cain and said: "I have acquired a man thanks to the Lord." Then she gave birth again to her brother Abel. Now Abel was a shepherd of flocks, while Cain was a farmer.
After some time, Cain presented fruits of the ground as an offering to the Lord, while Abel in turn presented the firstborn of his flock and their fat. The Lord liked Abel and his offering, but he didn't like Cain and his offering. Cain was very angry and his face was downcast. Then the Lord said to Cain: "Why are you angry and why is your face downcast?" If you do well, shouldn't you keep it high? But if you don't do right, sin is crouched at your door; towards you is his instinct, and you will dominate it ».
Cain spoke to his brother Abel. While they were in the countryside, Cain raised his hand against his brother Abel and killed him.
Then the Lord said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He replied, “I don't know. Am I my brother's keeper? ». He went on: «What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground! Now be cursed, far from the ground that opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. When you work the soil, it will no longer give you its products: you will be a wanderer and a fugitive on earth ».
Cain said to the Lord: «Too great is my fault to obtain forgiveness. Behold, you drive me out of this ground today and I will have to hide away from you; I will be a wanderer and a fugitive on earth and whoever meets me will kill me ». But the Lord said to him, "Well, whoever kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times!" The Lord imposed a sign on Cain, so that no one, meeting him, would strike him.
Adam again met his wife, who gave birth to a son and named him Seth. «Because - he said - God has granted me another offspring in place of Abel, since Cain killed him».

GOSPEL OF THE DAY From the Gospel according to Mark Mk 8,11: 13-XNUMX: At that time, the Pharisees came and began to argue with Jesus, asking him for a sign from heaven, to put him to the test.
But he sighed deeply and said, “Why is this generation asking for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation. "
He left them, got back into the boat and left for the other shore.

WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER
They confuse God's way of acting with the way of a sorcerer. And God doesn't act like a sorcerer, God has his own way of moving forward. God's patience. He too has patience. Every time we go to the sacrament of reconciliation, we sing a hymn to God's patience! But how the Lord carries us on his shoulders, with what patience, with what patience! The Christian life must unfold on this music of patience, because it was the music of our fathers, of the people of God, those who believed in the Word of God, who followed the commandment that the Lord had given to our father Abraham: 'Walk ahead of me and be blameless'. (Santa Marta, February 17, 2014)