Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection February 12, 2026
Thursday – Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
12th February 2026 (Thursday)
Psalter: Week 1
Readings of the Day
First Reading: 1 Kings 11:4-13
When Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not wholly follow the Lord, as David his father had done. Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem. And so he did for all his foreign wives, who made offerings and sacrificed to their gods. And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods. But he did not keep what the Lord commanded. Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this has been your practice and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes that I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant. Yet for the sake of David your father I will not do it in your days, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son. However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son, for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.”
Psalm 106:3-4, 35-36, 37 and 40 (R. see 4ab)
R/. O Lord, remember us with the favour you show to your people.
Gospel Acclamation
V/. Alleluia
R/. Alleluia
V/. Receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
R/. Alleluia
Gospel: Mark 7:24-30
At that time: Jesus arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. But immediately a woman, whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.
Daily Gospel Reflection
Thursday – Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Main Point: It does not matter how well you start the race, what matters is how you finish the race. We can have all the wisdom in the world and not reach God or be an outsider with nothing and capture the heart of God.
1. In the first reading from 1 Kings we see one of the most miserable tragedies in the Bible. It is the fall of King Solomon. Remember, this was the man who talked to God. This was the man who was responsible for building the Temple. This was the wisest man on earth.
2. But the text says, “when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods.” It didn’t happen overnight. It wasn’t a sudden explosion. It was a slow drift.
3. Solomon began to make compromises. He wanted to please his foreign wives so he makes shrines for their idols. He did not want to keep the peace at home, so deceived the peace with God at home. His heart was no longer “wholly true to the Lord.”
4. This is a scary warning for us. We tend to think, “I’ve been a Catholic for 40 years, I’m safe.” Solomon was safe too, until he was not. Age does not mean holiness. In fact, as we grow older, one is able to become spiritually lazy. We can begin to say “It’s not that bad, make a little compromise, it won’t hurt.”
5. Solomon had the whole loaf of bread – the Covenant, the Temple, the promises – and he threw it away for idols.
6. Now, look at the Gospel of Mark. We meet a lady that had none of these things. She was a Syrophoenician, a pagan, and a foreigner. She didn’t have the Temple or the Scriptures. She just had desperate love for her daughter who was possessed by a demon.
7. She comes to Jesus and Jesus says something which sounds shocking to our ears. He says, “It’s not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”
8. If Jesus said that to us, we would probably get offended. We would say things like, “Who do you think you are calling me a dog?” and walk away in anger. Our pride would be hurt.
9. But this woman has no pride. She has faith. She doesn’t argue. She accepts her place. She answers “Yes, Lord; but even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”
10. What a wise and humble reply! What she is saying is, “I don’t need the full meal.” I don’t need to be a VIP. I just need to have it at your feet – a crumb of your power. That is enough for me.”
11. Solomon had the banquet and went from the table. This woman was underneath the table and begged for a crumb. And guess what? She got it. Jesus was amazed. He told her “For with this saying you may go your way; the demon has departed from your daughter.”
12. She passed the test Solomon did not pass. Solomon allowed his heart to be divided. The woman’s heart was all centered on Jesus. We can learn so much from her. Sometimes we feel that God is far away or “insulting” us by not answering our prayers immediately. We feel ignored.
13. But true faith is not one that gives up when it gets hard. True faith gives up its pride. It says, “Lord, I will take whatever it is you give me.” You have chosen to remain invisible even to your chosen people.” “Even a crumb of your mercy is sufficient to save my life.”
My Practice: Am I drifting like Solomon, making little compromises with sin because I am lazy? Or am I persistent like the woman to keep praying even if I feel like I am being ignored?
