Daily Readings - Tue Jan 07 2020
1 John
7Most beloved, let us love one another. For love is of God. And everyone who loves is born of God and knows God8Whoever does not love, does not know God. For God is love9The love of God was made apparent to us in this way: that God sent his only-begotten Son into the world, so that we might live through him10In this is love: not as if we had loved God, but that he first loved us, and so he sent his Son as a propitiation for our sins
Mark
34And Jesus, going out, saw a great multitude. And he took pity on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things35And when many hours had now passed, his disciples drew near to him, saying: "This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late36Send them away, so that by going out to nearby villages and towns, they might buy provisions for themselves to eat.37And responding, he said to them, "Give them something to eat yourselves." And they said to him, "Let us go out and buy bread for two hundred denarii, and then we will give them something to eat.38And he said to them: "How many loaves do you have? Go and see." And when they had found out, they said, "Five, and two fish.39And he instructed them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass40And they sat down in divisions by hundreds and by fifties41And having received the five loaves and the two fish, gazing up to heaven, he blessed and broke the bread, and he gave it to his disciples to set before them. And the two fish he divided among them all42And they all ate and were satisfied43And they brought together the remainder: twelve baskets full of fragments and of fish44Now those who ate were five thousand men
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two profound expressions of God’s love and care for humanity. The first reading from 1 John reminds us that love is not merely a human emotion but a divine gift. John writes, “God is love,” and this love is revealed in the ultimate sacrifice of sending his only Son to save us from our sins. This passage invites us to reflect on the boundless and selfless nature of God’s love, which is the source of all true love. The second reading, from Mark’s Gospel, shows us how this divine love is made tangible in the world. Jesus, seeing the vast crowd of people who were like sheep without a shepherd, takes pity on them and feeds them miraculously with just five loaves of bread and two fish. This miracle not only satisfies their physical hunger but also reveals Jesus as the Good Shepherd who provides for his people’s deepest needs.
The connection between the two readings is clear: both highlight the transformative power of God’s love. In 1 John, we see love as the essence of God’s being, while in Mark’s Gospel, we see love in action through Jesus’ compassion and provision. Just as Jesus multiplied the loaves and fish to feed the crowd, God’s love multiplies in our lives when we trust in his providence and share his love with others. The readings remind us that love is not something we generate on our own but is a gift we receive from God, which we are then called to share generously.
As we reflect on these readings, let us ask ourselves: How can we embody God’s love in our daily lives? Like the disciples, we may feel inadequate or overwhelmed by the challenges before us, but Jesus invites us to trust in him and to use whatever resources we have, no matter how small they may seem. By doing so, we participate in the miracle of spreading God’s love and care to a world in need. Let us also remember that true love is not self-serving but self-giving, just as God’s love for us is selfless and unconditional. May we strive to live as instruments of God’s love, bringing hope, comfort, and nourishment to those around us.