Daily Readings - Sat Feb 12 2022
1 Kings
26And Jeroboam said in his heart, "Now the kingdom will turn back to the house of David.27If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the temple of the LORD at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn again to their lord, to Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah."28So the king took counsel and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, "You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt."29And he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.30Then this thing became a sin, for the people went as far as Dan to be before one.31He also made temples on high places and appointed priests from among all the people, who were not of the Levites.32And Jeroboam appointed a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month like the feast that was in Judah, and he offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he made. And he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places that he had made.
33After this thing Jeroboam did not turn from his evil way, but made priests for the high places again from among all the people. Any who would, he ordained to be priests of the high places.34And this thing became sin to the house of Jeroboam, so as to cut it off and to destroy it from the face of the earth.
Mark
1In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them,2"I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat.3And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away."4And his disciples answered him, "How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?"5And he asked them, "How many loaves do you have?" They said, "Seven."6And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd.7And they had a few small fish. And having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them.8And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full.9And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away.10And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district 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.