Daily Catholic Mass Readings for February 12, 2022
First Reading: 1 Kings 12.26-32; 13.33-34
26Jeroboam thought to himself, "The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David.27If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam."28After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt."29One he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan.30And this thing became a sin; the people went even as far as Dan to worship the one there.31Jeroboam built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites.32He instituted a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the festival held in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. This he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made. And at Bethel he also installed priests at the high places he had made.
33Even after this, Jeroboam did not change his evil ways, but once more appointed priests for the high places from all sorts of people. Anyone who wanted to become a priest he consecrated for the high places.34This was the sin of the house of Jeroboam that led to its downfall and to its destruction from the face of the earth.
Psalm 106
1Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.2Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the LORD or fully declare his praise?3Blessed are they who maintain justice, who constantly do what is right.4Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people, come to my aid when you save them,5that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may share in the joy of your nation and join your inheritance in giving praise.6We have sinned, even as our fathers did; we have done wrong and acted wickedly.7When our fathers were in Egypt, they gave no thought to your miracles; they did not remember your many kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.8Yet he saved them for his name's sake, to make his mighty power known.9He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up; he led them through the depths as through a desert.10He saved them from the hand of the foe; from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.11The waters covered their adversaries; not one of them survived.12Then they believed his promises and sang his praise.13But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his counsel.14In the desert they gave in to their craving; in the wasteland they put God to the test.15So he gave them what they asked for, but sent a wasting disease upon them.16In the camp they grew envious of Moses and of Aaron, who was consecrated to the LORD.17The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan; it buried the company of Abiram.18Fire blazed among their followers; a flame consumed the wicked.19At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped an idol cast from metal.20They exchanged their Glory for an image of a bull, which eats grass.21They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt,22miracles in the land of Ham and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.23So he said he would destroy them- had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him to keep his wrath from destroying them.24Then they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe his promise.25They grumbled in their tents and did not obey the LORD.26So he swore to them with uplifted hand that he would make them fall in the desert,27make their descendants fall among the nations and scatter them throughout the lands.28They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods;29they provoked the LORD to anger by their wicked deeds, and a plague broke out among them.30But Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was checked.31This was credited to him as righteousness for endless generations to come.32By the waters of Meribah they angered the LORD, and trouble came to Moses because of them;33for they rebelled against the Spirit of God, and rash words came from Moses' lips.34They did not destroy the peoples as the LORD had commanded them,35but they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs.36They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them.37They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons.38They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was desecrated by their blood.39They defiled themselves by what they did; by their deeds they prostituted themselves.40Therefore the LORD was angry with his people and abhorred his inheritance.41He handed them over to the nations, and their foes ruled over them.42Their enemies oppressed them and subjected them to their power.43Many times he delivered them, but they were bent on rebellion and they wasted away in their sin.44But he took note of their distress when he heard their cry;45for their sake he remembered his covenant and out of his great love he relented.46He caused them to be pitied by all who held them captive.47Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise.48Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Let all the people say, "Amen!" Praise the LORD.
Gospel: Mark 8.1-10
1During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said,2"I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat.3If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance."4His disciples answered, "But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?"5"How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked. "Seven," they replied.6He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people, and they did so.7They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them.8The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.9About four thousand men were present. And having sent them away,10he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region 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.