Thursday of Week 5 in Ordinary Time
1 Kgs 11:4-13
Mt 7:24-30
“They worshipped the idols of the nations and these became a snare to entrap them.”
The Scriptures before us reveal both the immeasurable gift of communion with God and the quiet tragedy of how easily that gift can be neglected. At the heart of our faith is the astonishing truth that we are invited into an intimate, familial relationship with the living God: God the Father who creates and sustains us, Jesus our Brother who redeems and walks with us, and the Holy Spirit who dwells within us as Advocate and guide. This permeating presence of God in our lives, is precious beyond measure — yet it is a gift we often take for granted.
The warning is starkly illustrated in 1 Kings 11. Solomon, who began his reign steeped in wisdom and favour, gradually allows his heart to turn away from the Lord. Scripture tells us plainly “When Solomon grew old his wives swayed his heart to other gods, and his heart was not wholly with the Lord his God…” (1 Kings 11:4). Solomon does not abandon worship outright; rather, he accommodates competing loves. His downfall is not sudden rebellion but slow distraction. What once revolved around God now makes room for other centres of meaning and desire.
This temptation is not confined to ancient kings. Many faithful Catholics live outwardly religious lives while inwardly allowing other ‘gods’ to take precedence. Achievement at work, the pursuit of wealth, the accumulation of possessions, emotional dependence on relationships, or even innocent recreational activities can subtly claim the devotion that belongs to God alone. At times, the most insidious idol is the self. We may serve in ministry, engage in good works, or even speak about God, yet quietly glorify ourselves instead of Him. We make ourselves the centre of our lives and reduce God to a supporting character, someone who exists to bless our plans rather than to shape them.
Psalm 105 calls us back to right worship and proper remembrance: To seek God continually is not merely to pray occasionally or attend liturgy regularly, but to allow every aspect of life to be oriented toward Him. When we forget this, we begin to behave like pagans — not necessarily in outward immorality, but in inward allegiance to the promises of the temporal world. We trust our own strategies more than divine providence.
The Gospel reading from Mark 7 offers a striking contrast. Jesus encounters a Syrophoenician woman, a Gentile — an outsider by every religious and cultural standard. Yet, she approaches Him with humility and bold faith. When Jesus tests her, she responds, “’Ah yes, sir’, she replied ‘but the house-dogs under the table can eat the children’s scraps’” (Mark 7:28). Her faith is not entitled or distracted; it is singular, persistent, and trusting in His mercy. Jesus responds decisively: “For this saying you may go home happy: the devil has gone out of your daughter” (Mark 7:29).
Here, we see what the Lord truly looks for — not pedigree, not status, not busyness in religious activity, but authentic faith in His providence and power. The Syrophoenician woman does not attempt to control Jesus or fit Him into her plans. She entrusts herself completely to His mercy. In contrast, when we take God for granted, we risk treating Him as a convenience rather than a Lord, as someone who should revolve around our lives instead of the One around whom our lives must revolve.
True discipleship, as Jesus teaches, requires fidelity to the law of love and mercy and a willingness to “take up the cross” daily. It demands that we resist the false attractions and empty promises of idols that cannot save. Jesus reminds us elsewhere that “whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother” (cf. Matthew 12:50). This familial bond with Christ is not automatic; it is lived out through obedience, trust, and sustained faithfulness.
The tragedy of Solomon and the faith of the Syrophoenician woman place a question before us: Who truly occupies the centre of our lives? If we have allowed other gods — success, comfort, self-glorification — to take root, the Lord invites us not to despair, but to return. To seek His presence continually. To remember that communion with Father, Son and Spirit is not merely a privilege, but the very source of life, freedom, and healing.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Susanah Cheok)
Prayer: My Lord and my God, my one true King, grace me always to do your holy will, all through my life, and especially at my death’s hour. Keep my eyes ever on you, my ear ever peeled to your voice, and my hands and feet joyfully serving you. May my face reflect your love and mercy and may my voice always glorify your holy name. Amen.
Thanksgiving: Thank you, my Master, my Divine Brother, for counting me as your family. There is no better gift and treasure in my life than our familial relationship. There is nothing I desire more than to one day reign in heaven with you forever. With deep gratitude, I claim that it is also your deepest desire for me to live with you in paradise for all eternity. Thank you for loving me so completely. Amen.
OXYGEN 
Leave a comment