Mass Reading and Reflection for February 7th 2026

First Reading: (1 Kings 3:4–14)

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God. 

Responsorial Psalm:  (Psalm 119)

Response: O Lord, teach me your statutes.

ALLELUIA:

Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
Alleluia.

GOSPEL: (Mark 6:30–34)

REFLECTION:

At the dawn of the covid pandemic about six years go, most of us clinicians worked and also witnessed extraordinary selflessness by doctors, nurses, other healthcare workers, priests, religious, and even the ordinary people in the community worked and served others tirelessly, often at the cost of their own health, and many even lost their lives. Most of us did not think first of ourselves; we thought of the patients who were suffering. That is what it means to be truly human: to live in relationship, to reach out beyond oneself.

The first reading presents Solomon, a young king entrusted with a great responsibility. Faced with the weight of leadership, he does not ask for wealth, success, or power. Instead, he asks for wisdom-an understanding heart to discern between good and evil. His request is not self-serving; it is for the good of the people entrusted to him. Because his heart is rightly ordered, God grants him not only wisdom but also what he did not ask for.

The Gospel reveals the same spirit in Jesus. Though tired, though seeking rest with his disciples, Jesus sees the crowd and is moved with compassion. He does not turn inward; he turns outward. Seeing them as sheep without a shepherd, he teaches them many things. Jesus fulfills what Solomon prefigures-yet he is far greater than Solomon. Jesus is not merely given wisdom; he is the wisdom and Word of God.

This contrast is crucial. Adam and Eve desired to discern good and evil apart from God, to replace God. Solomon sought wisdom from God in order to serve others. Jesus, the Wisdom of God incarnate, gives himself completely for his people, even unto death on the cross.

So today we must ask ourselves:
Why do we seek God?
Is it for our own benefit alone?
Or do we seek God to know his will, to obey his word, and to serve others selflessly?

The Psalm gives us the answer:
“How shall the young remain pure on their way? By obeying your word.”

True wisdom is not knowledge for self-advancement. True wisdom is obedience to God, humility of heart, and compassion for others, even when we are tired, afraid, or stretched beyond comfort.

As we celebrate this Eucharist, let us pray for the grace to seek God not for what he can give us, but for who he is, so that, like Solomon and above all like Christ, we may discern rightly, live faithfully, and serve generously.

Amen

God bless you

Have a great weekend.