Daily Catholic Mass Readings for February 12, 2022
First Reading: 1 Kings 12.26-32; 13.33-34
26And Jeroboam said in his heart: "Now the kingdom will return to the house of David27if this people ascend to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem. And the heart of this people will be converted to their lord Rehoboam, the king of Judah, and they will put me to death, and return to him.28And devising a plan, he made two golden calves. And he said to them: "No longer choose to ascend to Jerusalem. Behold, these are your gods, O Israel, who led you away from the land of Egypt!29And he stationed one in Bethel, and the other in Dan30And this word became an occasion of sin. For the people went to adore the calf, even to Dan31And he made shrines on the high places, and he made priests out of the lowest people, who were not of the sons of Levi32And he appointed a solemn day in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, in imitation of the solemnity that was celebrated in Judah. And ascending to the altar, he acted similarly in Bethel, so that he immolated to the calves, which he had made. And in Bethel, he appointed priests of the high places, which he had made
33After these words, Jeroboam did not turn back from his very evil way. Instead, to the contrary, he made priests for the high places out of the least of the people. Whosoever was willing, he filled his hand, and he became a priest of the high places34And for this reason, the house of Jeroboam sinned, and was uprooted, and was wiped from the face of the earth
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 8.1-10
1In those days, again, when there was a great crowd, and they did not have anything to eat, calling together his disciples, he said to them2"I have compassion for the multitude, because, behold, they have persevered with me now for three days, and they do not have anything to eat3And if I were to send them away fasting to their home, they might faint on the way." For some of them came from far away4And his disciples answered him, "From where would anyone be able to obtain enough bread for them in the wilderness?5And he questioned them, "How many loaves do you have?" And they said, "Seven.6And he instructed the crowd to sit down to eat on the ground. And taking the seven loaves, giving thanks, he broke and gave it to his disciples in order to place before them. And they placed these before the crowd7And they had a few small fish. And he blessed them, and he ordered them to be placed before them8And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up what had been leftover from the fragments: seven baskets9And those who ate were about four thousand. And he dismissed them10And promptly climbing into a boat with his disciples, he went into the parts of Dalmanutha
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two contrasting narratives that invite us to reflect on the nature of worship, trust in God, and the consequences of our choices. The first reading from 1 Kings describes Jeroboam’s decision to create golden calves for the Israelites to worship, diverting them from the true worship of God in Jerusalem. This act of idolatry is presented as a grave sin, one that leads to division and ultimately the downfall of Jeroboam’s house. The passage serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of substituting man-made idols for the one true God. Jeroboam’s actions are driven by fear and a desire to maintain power, but they result in spiritual corruption and disunity among God’s people.
The Gospel, on the other hand, presents a very different image: Jesus, moved by compassion, feeds a crowd of four thousand people with seven loaves of bread and a few fish. This miracle underscores Jesus’ role as the true provider and the one who satisfies the deepest hungers of humanity. While Jeroboam’s actions lead to spiritual famine, Jesus’ actions bring abundant life and satisfaction. The feeding of the crowd also points to the Eucharist, where Jesus continues to nourish us spiritually, calling us to trust in his providence and to seek him above all else.
These readings remind us that our choices have consequences. Jeroboam’s idolatry represents the tendency to create our own solutions to life’s challenges, often turning to false securities or comforts. Jesus, however, calls us to trust in his Father’s care and to seek him as the source of all life. In our daily lives, we are invited to examine where we may be tempted to “worship” false idols—whether material possessions, power, or comfort—and to turn instead to the one who truly satisfies. Let us ask for the grace to trust in God’s providence and to seek him with all our hearts, that we may be filled with the bread of life and avoid the pitfalls of spiritual corruption.