Daily Readings - Thu Feb 10 2022
1 Kings
4And when now he was old, his heart was perverted by the women, so that he followed strange gods. And his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David5For Solomon worshipped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Milcom, the idol of the Ammonites6And Solomon did what was not pleasing in the sight of the Lord. And he did not continue to follow the Lord, as his father David did7Then Solomon built a shrine for Chemosh, the idol of Moab, on the mount that is opposite Jerusalem, and for Milcom, the idol of the sons of Ammon8And he acted in this manner for all his foreign wives, who were burning incense and immolating to their gods9And so, the Lord became angry with Solomon, because his mind had been turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice10and who had instructed him about this matter, lest he follow strange gods. But he did not observe what the Lord commanded to him11And so, the Lord said to Solomon: "Because you have this with you, and because you have not kept my covenant and my precepts, which I commanded to you, I will tear apart your kingdom, and I will give it to your servant12Yet truly, I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David. From the hand of your son, I will tear it away13Neither will I take away the whole kingdom. Instead, I will grant one tribe to your son, for the sake of David, my servant, and Jerusalem, which I have chosen.
Mark
24And rising up, he went from there to the area of Tyre and Sidon. And entering into a house, he intended no one to know about it, but he was not able to remain hidden25For a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit, as soon as she heard about him, entered and fell prostrate at his feet26For the woman was a Gentile, by birth a Syro-Phoenician. And she petitioned him, so that he would cast the demon from her daughter27And he said to her: "First allow the sons to have their fill. For it is not good to take away the bread of the sons and throw it to the dogs.28But she responded by saying to him: "Certainly, Lord. Yet the young dogs also eat, under the table, from the crumbs of the children.29And he said to her, "Because of this saying, go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.30And when she had gone to her house, she found the girl lying on the bed; and the demon had gone away
Sermon
The readings today present us with two powerful narratives that invite us to reflect on the nature of faith, persistence, and the consequences of our choices. In the first reading, we see King Solomon, once a man of great wisdom and favor with God, now faltering because of his divided heart. Seduced by the idolatrous practices of his foreign wives, Solomon turns away from the Lord, despite the clear warnings and the covenant God had established with him. This story serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of compromise and the importance of remaining faithful to God’s commandments. Solomon’s downfall reminds us that even the greatest among us can fall if we allow our hearts to be swayed by worldly allurements.
In the Gospel, we encounter a very different kind of faith. A Syro-Phoenician woman, a Gentile and an outsider, approaches Jesus with bold persistence, pleading for the healing of her demon-possessed daughter. Despite Jesus’ initial hesitation and the cultural barriers that might have discouraged her, the woman’s faith and determination prevail. Her humble yet unyielding response, “Even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs,” moves Jesus to grant her request. This exchange highlights the universal reach of God’s mercy and the transformative power of faith. The woman’s persistence teaches us that even when we feel unworthy or marginalized, we should never lose hope in God’s providence.
These readings invite us to examine our own hearts and lives. Like Solomon, we are called to remain steadfast in our commitment to God, avoiding the idols of our own time—whether they be wealth, power, or fleeting desires. At the same time, the Syro-Phoenician woman’s example encourages us to approach God with humility and perseverance, trusting in His love and mercy even when the odds seem against us. Let us ask ourselves: Are there areas in our lives where we have compromised our faith? Are there times when we have given up too easily, failing to trust in God’s plan? May these readings inspire us to renew our commitment to the Lord and to pray with the kind of faith that moves mountains.