Daily Catholic Mass Readings for February 10, 2022
First Reading: 1 Kings 11.4-13
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."
Psalm 106
1Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!2Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD, or declare all his praise?3Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times!4Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people; help me when you save them,5that I may look upon the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory with your inheritance.6Both we and our fathers have sinned; we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness.7Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wondrous works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled by the Sea, at the Red Sea.8Yet he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make known his mighty power.9He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry, and he led them through the deep as through a desert.10So he saved them from the hand of the foe and redeemed them from the power of the enemy.11And the waters covered their adversaries; not one of them was left.12Then they believed his words; they sang his praise.13But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel.14But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness, and put God to the test in the desert;15he gave them what they asked, but sent a wasting disease among them.16When men in the camp were jealous of Moses and Aaron, the holy one of the LORD,17the earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram.18Fire also broke out in their company; the flame burned up the wicked.19They made a calf in Horeb and worshiped a metal image.20They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass.21They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt,22wondrous works in the land of Ham, and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.23Therefore he said he would destroy them--had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him, to turn away his wrath from destroying them.24Then they despised the pleasant land, having no faith in his promise.25They murmured in their tents, and did not obey the voice of the LORD.26Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them that he would make them fall in the wilderness,27and would make their offspring fall among the nations, scattering them among the lands.28Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor, and ate sacrifices offered to the dead;29they provoked the LORD to anger with their deeds, and a plague broke out among them.30Then Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was stayed.31And that was counted to him as righteousness from generation to generation forever.32They angered him at the waters of Meribah, and it went ill with Moses on their account,33for they made his spirit bitter, and he spoke rashly with his lips.34They did not destroy the peoples, as the LORD commanded them,35but they mixed with the nations and learned to do as they did.36They served their idols, which became a snare to them.37They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons;38they poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood.39Thus they became unclean by their acts, and played the whore in their deeds.40Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people, and he abhorred his heritage;41he gave them into the hand of the nations, so that those who hated them ruled over them.42Their enemies oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their power.43Many times he delivered them, but they were rebellious in their purposes and were brought low through their iniquity.44Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress, when he heard their cry.45For their sake he remembered his covenant, and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love.46He caused them to be pitied by all those who held them captive.47Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise.48Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, "Amen!" Praise the LORD!
Gospel: Mark 7.24-30
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.