Daily Readings - Sat Feb 12 2022
1 Kings
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.
Mark
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.