Daily Readings - Thu Feb 10 2022
1 Kings
4For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.5For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.6So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and did not wholly follow the LORD, as David his father had done.7Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem.8And so he did for all his foreign wives, who made offerings and sacrificed to their gods.9And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice10and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods. But he did not keep what the LORD commanded.11Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, "Since this has been your practice and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes that I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant.12Yet for the sake of David your father I will not do it in your days, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son.13However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son, for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem that I have chosen."
Mark
24And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden.25But immediately a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet.26Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter.27And he said to her, "Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."28But she answered him, "Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs."29And he said to her, "For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter."30And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.
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.