12 Blessed is anyone who perseveres when trials come. Such a person is of proven worth and will win the prize of life, the crown that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
13 Never, when you are being put to the test, say, ‘God is tempting me’; God cannot be tempted by evil, and he does not put anybody to the test.
14 Everyone is put to the test by being attracted and seduced by that person’s own wrong desire.
15 Then the desire conceives and gives birth to sin, and when sin reaches full growth, it gives birth to death.
16 Make no mistake about this, my dear brothers:
17 all that is good, all that is perfect, is given us from above; it comes down from the Father of all light; with him there is no such thing as alteration, no shadow caused by change.
18 By his own choice he gave birth to us by the message of the truth so that we should be a sort of first-fruits of all his creation.
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 94:12-13, 14-15, 18-19
12 How blessed are those you instruct, Yahweh, whom you teach by means of your law,
13 to give them respite in evil times, till a pit is dug for the wicked.
14 Yahweh will not abandon his people, he will not desert his heritage;
15 for judgement will again become saving justice, and in its wake all upright hearts will follow.
18 I need only say, ‘I am slipping,’ for your faithful love, Yahweh, to support me;
19 however great the anxiety of my heart, your consolations soothe me.
Gospel, Mark 8:14-21
14 The disciples had forgotten to take any bread and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.
15 Then he gave them this warning, ‘Keep your eyes open; look out for the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.’
16 And they said to one another, ‘It is because we have no bread.’
17 And Jesus knew it, and he said to them, ‘Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not understand, still not realise? Are your minds closed?
18 Have you eyes and do not see, ears and do not hear? Or do you not remember?
19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of scraps did you collect?’ They answered, ‘Twelve.’
20 ‘And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many baskets full of scraps did you collect?’ And they answered, ‘Seven.’
21 Then he said to them, ‘Do you still not realise?’
Read Anglican Daily Fountain Devotional 15 February 2022 – You Must Be Born Again