First Reading

Reading from the second book of Samuel

2 Samuel 12, 1-7. 10-17

In those days, the Lord sent the prophet Nathan to go to King David. Nathan came before the king and said to him: “There were two men in a city, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had many sheep and numerous cattle. The poor man had only one little ewe lamb, which he had bought; he had raised it personally, and it had grown up with him and with his children. It ate from his bread, drank from his cup, and slept beside him. He loved it like a daughter. One day a visitor came to the rich man’s house, and he did not want to sacrifice any of his own sheep or cattle, but he seized the poor man’s little ewe lamb to prepare a meal for his guest.”

When David heard this, he became furious and said to Nathan: “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die. Since he showed no pity for the poor man’s ewe lamb, he must pay four times its value.”

Then Nathan said to David: “You are that man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own. Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with them in broad daylight. You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’”

David said to Nathan: “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan replied: “The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for the Lord, the son born to you will die.” And Nathan went home.

Then the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill. David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and spent the nights lying on the ground. The elders of his house stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he refused, and he would not eat with them.

Gospel

Reading from the holy Gospel according to Saint Mark

Mark 4, 35-41

That day, when evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him.

A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”