Daily Readings - Tue Jan 05 2021
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 are invited to reflect on the profound nature of God's love and its practical expression in our lives. The first reading from 1 John reminds us that love is not merely an emotion but a divine gift that flows from God's very essence. John emphasizes that love is not something we initiate but rather a response to God's prior love for us. This love is most vividly demonstrated in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who was sent to redeem us from our sins. The reading calls us to recognize that genuine love for others is a reflection of our relationship with God.
The Gospel from Mark illustrates this love in action through the miraculous feeding of the five thousand. Jesus, moved by compassion for the crowd, takes the little that the disciples have—five loaves and two fish—and multiplies it to satisfy everyone's hunger. This miracle is not just about providing physical nourishment; it is a sign of God's abundant love and care for his people. The leftovers, twelve baskets full, symbolize the excess of God's grace and the call to share generously with others. This story challenges us to trust in God's providence and to use whatever resources we have to serve others.
As we apply these readings to our daily lives, we are reminded that love is both a gift and a responsibility. Like the disciples, we may feel inadequate or limited in what we can offer, but when we place our resources in God's hands, he can accomplish extraordinary things through us. Let us strive to love one another as God has loved us—selflessly, generously, and without reservation. May we become instruments of God's love in a world that so desperately needs it.