Daily Catholic Mass Readings for February 10, 2022
First Reading: 1 Kings 11.4-13
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.
Psalm 106
1Alleluia. Confess to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy is with every generation2Who will declare the powers of the Lord? Who make a hearing for all his praises3Blessed are those who keep judgment and who do justice at all times4Remember us, O Lord, with good will for your people. Visit us with your salvation5so that we may see the goodness of your elect, so that we may rejoice in the joy of your nation, so that you may be praised along with your inheritance6We have sinned, as have our fathers. We have acted unjustly; we have wrought iniquity7Our fathers did not understand your miracles in Egypt. They did not remember the multitude of your mercies. And they provoked you, while going up to the sea, even the Red Sea8And he saved them for the sake of his name, so that he might make known his power9And he rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up. And he led them into the abyss, as if into a desert10And he saved them from the hand of those who hated them. And he redeemed them from the hand of the enemy11And the water covered those who troubled them. Not one of them remained12And they believed his words, and they sang his praises13As soon as they had finished, they forgot his works, and they would not endure his counsel14And they coveted their desire in the desert, and they tempted God in a waterless place15And he granted to them their request, and he sent abundance into their souls16And they provoked Moses in the camp, and Aaron, the holy one of the Lord17The earth opened and swallowed Dathan, and it covered the congregation of Abiram18And a fire broke out in their congregation. A flame burned up the sinners19And they fashioned a calf at Horeb, and they adored a graven image20And they exchanged their glory for the likeness of a calf that eats hay21They forgot God, who saved them, who did great things in Egypt22miracles in the land of Ham, terrible things at the Red Sea23And he said that he would destroy them, yet Moses, his elect, stood firm before him in the breach, in order to avert his wrath, lest he destroy them24And they held the desirable land to be nothing. They did not trust in his word25And they murmured in their tabernacles. They did not heed the voice of the Lord26And he lifted up his hand over them, in order to prostrate them in the desert27and in order to cast their offspring among the nations, and to scatter them among the regions28And they were initiated into Baal of Peor, and they ate the sacrifices of the dead29And they provoked him with their inventions, and ruination was multiplied in them30Then Phinehas stood up and placated him: and so the violent disturbance ceased31And it was reputed to him unto justice, from generation to generation, even forever32And they provoked him at the Waters of Contradiction, and Moses was afflicted because of them33for they exasperated his spirit. And so he divided them with his lips34They did not destroy the nations, about which the Lord had spoken to them35And they were mixed among the Gentiles. And they learned their works36and they served their graven images, and it became a scandal to them37And they sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons38And they shed innocent blood: the blood of their sons and of their daughters, which they sacrificed to the graven images of Canaan. And the land was infected with bloodshed39and was contaminated with their works. And they fornicated according to their own inventions40And the Lord became furiously angry with his people, and he abhorred his inheritance41And he delivered them into the hands of the nations. And those who hated them became rulers over them42And their enemies afflicted them, and they were humbled under their hands43Many times, he delivered them. Yet they provoked him with their counsel, and they were brought low by their iniquities44And he saw that they were in tribulation, and he heard their prayer45And he was mindful of his covenant, and he repented according to the multitude of his mercies46And he provided for them with mercies, in the sight of all those who had seized them47Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from the nations, so that we may confess your holy name and glory in your praise48Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, from ages past, even to all ages. And let all the people say: Amen. Amen
Gospel: Mark 7.24-30
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.