Thursday, February 12

Thursday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time – Year A

First Reading – 1 Kings 11:4-13

For 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 Ash′toreth the goddess of the Sido′nians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Am′monites. 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 Che′mosh the abomination of Moab, and for Mo′lech the abomination of the Am′monites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem. And so he did for all his foreign wives, who burned incense 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 mind and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes which 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.”

Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 106:3-4, 35-36, 37 and 40

℟ Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.

Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times!

Remember me, O Lord, when you show favor to your people; help me when you deliver them;

℟ Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.

But they mingled with the nations and learned to do as they did.

They served their idols, which became a snare to them.

℟ Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.

They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons;

Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people, and he abhorred his heritage;

℟ Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.

Alleluia – James 1:21

℟ Alleluia!

Therefore put away all filthiness and rank growth of wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

℟ Alleluia!

Gospel – Mark 7:24-30

And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house, and would not have any one know it; yet he could not be hidden. But immediately a woman, whose little daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell down at his feet. Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoeni’cian by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. And he said to her, “Let the children first be fed, 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 saying 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.

Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition, Ignatius Press, Copyright ⓒ 2006.