Daily Readings - Thu Feb 08 2018

First Reading - 1 Kings 11.4-13

⁴And when now he was old, his heart was perverted by the women, so that he followed strange gods. And his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David⁵For Solomon worshipped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Milcom, the idol of the Ammonites⁶And Solomon did what was not pleasing in the sight of the Lord. And he did not continue to follow the Lord, as his father David did⁷Then Solomon built a shrine for Chemosh, the idol of Moab, on the mount that is opposite Jerusalem, and for Milcom, the idol of the sons of Ammon⁸And he acted in this manner for all his foreign wives, who were burning incense and immolating to their gods⁹And so, the Lord became angry with Solomon, because his mind had been turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice¹⁰and who had instructed him about this matter, lest he follow strange gods. But he did not observe what the Lord commanded to him¹¹And so, the Lord said to Solomon: "Because you have this with you, and because you have not kept my covenant and my precepts, which I commanded to you, I will tear apart your kingdom, and I will give it to your servant¹²Yet truly, I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David. From the hand of your son, I will tear it away¹³Neither will I take away the whole kingdom. Instead, I will grant one tribe to your son, for the sake of David, my servant, and Jerusalem, which I have chosen.

Gospel - Mark 7.24-30

Mark

Chapter 7

²⁴And rising up, he went from there to the area of Tyre and Sidon. And entering into a house, he intended no one to know about it, but he was not able to remain hidden²⁵For a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit, as soon as she heard about him, entered and fell prostrate at his feet²⁶For the woman was a Gentile, by birth a Syro-Phoenician. And she petitioned him, so that he would cast the demon from her daughter²⁷And he said to her: "First allow the sons to have their fill. For it is not good to take away the bread of the sons and throw it to the dogs.²⁸But she responded by saying to him: "Certainly, Lord. Yet the young dogs also eat, under the table, from the crumbs of the children.²⁹And he said to her, "Because of this saying, go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.³⁰And when she had gone to her house, she found the girl lying on the bed; and the demon had gone away

Sermon

In today’s readings, we encounter two profound narratives that invite us to reflect on faith, persistence, and God’s boundless mercy. The first reading from 1 Kings recounts the story of King Solomon, who, despite his wisdom and divine favor, succumbs to idolatry influenced by his foreign wives. This leads to a fracture in his relationship with God, resulting in the division of his kingdom. The passage serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of turning away from God, even for those who have been greatly blessed. The Gospel from Mark presents a stark contrast with the story of the Syro-Phoenician woman. Her daughter, tormented by a demon, finds hope in Jesus. Despite initial hesitation, Jesus is moved by her persistence and faith, healing her daughter. This encounter highlights the universality of God’s love, extending beyond cultural and religious boundaries. The woman’s unwavering faith and humility exemplify the kind of trust we are called to embrace. These readings remind us that faith is not about deserving God’s favors but about trusting in His love. Solomon’s story warns against the idolatries of our modern world—be they materialism, pride, or complacency. The Syro-Phoenician woman teaches us to approach God with humility and persistence, knowing that His mercy is available to all. Let us, therefore, examine our hearts, reject any form of idolatry, and seek God with the same faith and perseverance, trusting in His loving providence.