1ST READING
I
think it is Solomon’s desire for wealth, his attraction to the
trappings of kingly living, that cause his heart to stray. He does not
want to be a warrior like his father as it would be such an
uncomfortable life — always in battle, etc. He turns to other means of
keeping the peace. He forms alliances through marriage and so on in
order to keep the armies unemployed. He tolerates foreign religions,
beliefs and practices in his court. This is displeasing to God.
1 Kings 11:4-13
4 When
Solomon was old his wives had turned his heart to strange gods, and his
heart was not entirely with the Lord, his God, as the heart of his
father David had been. 5 By adoring Astarte, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Milcom, the idol of the Ammonites, 6 Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not follow him unreservedly as his father David had done. 7
Solomon then built a high place to Chemosh, the idol of Moab, and to Molech, the idol of the Ammonites, on the hill opposite Jerusalem. 8 He did the same for all his foreign wives who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. 9 The
Lord, therefore, became angry with Solomon, because his heart was
turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice 10 (for though the Lord had forbidden
him this very act of following strange gods, Solomon had not obeyed him). 11 So the Lord said to Solomon: “Since
this is what you want, and you have not kept my covenant and my
statutes which I enjoined on you, I will deprive you of the kingdom and
give it to your servant. 12 I will not do this during your lifetime, however, for the sake of your father David; it is your son whom I will deprive. 13 Nor will I take away the whole kingdom. I will leave your son one tribe for the
sake of my servant David and of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.”
P S AL M
Psalm 106:3-4, 35-36, 37, 40
R: Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
3 Blessed are they who observe what is right, who do always what is just. 4 Remember me, O Lord, as you favor your people; visit me with your saving help. (R) 35 But they mingled with the nations and learned their works. 36 They served their idols, which became a snare for them. (R)
37 They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. 40 And the Lord grew angry with his people, and abhorred his inheritance. (R)
GOSPEL
The
woman in today’s reading is aware of the power of God. She knows that
just the “scraps” — that which is rejected by the children of the house —
will be enough to heal her daughter. It is not that Jesus does not want
to do this, but that He wants to use her faith as an example for the
Jews in their unbelief and lack of faith.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls.
Mark 7:24-30
24 Jesus went off to the district of Tyre. He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it, but he could not escape notice. 25 Soon a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him. She came and fell at his feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth, and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter. 27 He said to her, “Let the children be fed first. For it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” 28 She replied and said to him, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.” 29 Then he said to her, “For saying this, you may go. The demon has gone out of your daughter.” 30 When the woman went home, she found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.
think: Jesus wants our faith to be an example for those who do not believe in Him.
T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: __________________
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God’s special verse/thought for me today_
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READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR 2 Corinthians 5-8
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