Daily Readings - Mon Feb 07 2022
1 Kings
1Then King Solomon summoned into his presence at Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark of the LORD's covenant from Zion, the City of David.2All the men of Israel came together to King Solomon at the time of the festival in the month of Ethanim, the seventh month.3When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the priests took up the ark,4and they brought up the ark of the LORD and the Tent of Meeting and all the sacred furnishings in it. The priests and Levites carried them up,5and King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted.6The priests then brought the ark of the LORD's covenant to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim.7The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and overshadowed the ark and its carrying poles.9There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the LORD made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.10When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the LORD.11And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled his temple.12Then Solomon said, "The LORD has said that he would dwell in a dark cloud;13I have indeed built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwell forever."
Mark
53When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there.54As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus.55They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was.56And wherever he went--into villages, towns or countryside--they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the presence of God in our lives and the ways in which He reveals Himself to us. In the first reading from 1 Kings, we witness the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem, a moment of profound significance for the people of Israel. The ark of the covenant, which held the tablets of the Ten Commandments, was finally placed in the Holy of Holies, symbolizing God’s dwelling among His people. The cloud that filled the Temple signified the divine presence, and Solomon’s words acknowledged that God had chosen to dwell in a cloud, a reminder of His mysterious and transcendent nature. This passage emphasizes the importance of sacred spaces and rituals in connecting us to the divine.
In the Gospel, Mark describes Jesus’ ministry in the region of Genesaret. Wherever Jesus went, people brought their sick to Him, and simply by touching His garments, they were healed. This passage highlights Jesus as the living Temple, the new and definitive dwelling place of God among humanity. Unlike the Temple in Jerusalem, which was a physical structure, Jesus’ presence brought healing and wholeness to all who encountered Him. This shift from the Temple to Jesus underscores the Christian understanding that God’s presence is not confined to a building but is fully revealed in the person of Christ.
These readings remind us that God’s presence is both mysterious and accessible. In the Temple, God’s glory was veiled in a cloud, yet in Jesus, that same glory is revealed in flesh and blood. As we go about our daily lives, we are called to recognize God’s presence in the world around us—in the beauty of creation, in the faces of those we meet, and in the quiet moments of prayer. Like the people in Genesaret, we can bring our needs and struggles to Jesus, trusting in His power to heal and transform us. Let us also remember that we are called to be instruments of God’s presence in the world, offering love, compassion, and hope to those around us. May we, like Solomon, acknowledge the mystery of God’s dwelling among us, and may we, like the people in the Gospel, reach out in faith to touch the hem of His garment.