Wednesday, February 12, 2025

¹Bless the LORD, my soul. The LORD, my God, you are very great. You are clothed with honor and majesty. ²He covers himself with light as with a garment. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain. ²⁷These all wait for you, that you may give them their food in due season. ²⁸You give to them; they gather. You open your hand; they are satisfied with good. ²⁹You hide your face; they are troubled. You take away their breath; they die and return to the dust. ³⁰You send out your Spirit and they are created. You renew the face of the ground.

¹⁴He called all the multitude to himself and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand. ¹⁵There is nothing from outside of the man that going into him can defile him; but the things which proceed out of the man are those that defile the man. ¹⁶If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!” ¹⁷When he had entered into a house away from the multitude, his disciples asked him about the parable. ¹⁸He said to them, “Are you also without understanding? Don’t you perceive that whatever goes into the man from outside can’t defile him, ¹⁹because it doesn’t go into his heart, but into his stomach, then into the latrine, making all foods clean?” ²⁰He said, “That which proceeds out of the man, that defiles the man. ²¹For from within, out of the hearts of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, sexual sins, murders, thefts, ²²covetings, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness. ²³All these evil things come from within and defile the man.”