Wednesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 GN 8and6-13, 20-22 At the end of forty days Noah opened the hatch he had made in the ark,and he sent out a raven,to see if the waters had lessened on the earth.It flew back and forth until the waters dried off from the earth.Then he sent out a dove,to see if the waters had lessened on the earth.But the dove could find no place to alight and perch,and it returned to him in the ark,for there was water all over the earth.Putting out his hand, he caught the doveand drew it back to him inside the ark.He waited seven days more and again sent the dove out from the ark.In the evening the dove came back to him,and there in its bill was a plucked-off olive leaf!So Noah knew that the waters had lessened on the earth.He waited still another seven daysand then released the dove once moreand this time it did not come back.In the six hundred and first year of Noah’s life,in the first month, on the first day of the month,the water began to dry up on the earth.Noah then removed the covering of the arkand saw that the surface of the ground was drying up.Noah built an altar to the LORD,and choosing from every clean animal and every clean bird,he offered burnt offerings on the altar.When the LORD smelled the sweet odor, he said to himselfand Never again will I doom the earth because of mansince the desires of man’s heart are evil from the startnor will I ever again strike down all living beings, as I have done.As long as the earth lasts,seedtime and harvest,cold and heat,Summer and winter,and day and nightshall not cease. Responsorial Psalm PS 116:12-13, 14-15, 18-19 R. (17a) To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.orandR. Alleluia.How shall I make a return to the LORDfor all the good he has done for me?The cup of salvation I will take up,and I will call upon the name of the LORD.R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.orandR. Alleluia.My vows to the LORD I will payin the presence of all his people.Precious in the eyes of the LORDis the death of his faithful ones.R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.orandR. Alleluia.My vows to the LORD I will payin the presence of all his people,In the courts of the house of the LORD,in your midst, O Jerusalem.R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.orandR. Alleluia. Alleluia EPH 1:17-18 R. Alleluia, alleluia.May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christenlighten the eyes of our hearts,that we may know what is the hopethat belongs to his call.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel MK 8:22-26 When Jesus and his disciples arrived at Bethsaida,people brought to him a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village.Putting spittle on his eyes he laid his hands on the man and asked, Do you see anything? Looking up the man replied, I see people looking like trees and walking. Then he laid hands on the man’s eyes a second time and he saw clearlyhis sight was restored and he could see everything distinctly.Then he sent him home and said, Do not even go into the village.