Daily Readings - Tue Jan 04 2022
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
The readings today invite us to reflect on the nature of love and its practical expression in our lives. In the first reading from 1 John, we are reminded that love is not just a feeling or an abstract concept, but it is rooted in the very essence of God. John writes, "God is love," and this love is not something we initiate but something God first extends to us. This divine love is revealed most profoundly in the gift of Jesus, who was sent to save us from our sins. John emphasizes that true love is not about what we do for God, but about recognizing and responding to the love God has already shown us.
In the Gospel, Mark presents us with the familiar story of the feeding of the five thousand. Here, Jesus demonstrates what this divine love looks like in action. Moved by compassion for the crowd, who were like "sheep without a shepherd," Jesus teaches them and ultimately provides for their physical needs. When the disciples express concern about feeding such a large group, Jesus challenges them to trust in God’s abundance. With just five loaves and two fish, Jesus performs a miracle, feeding everyone to satisfaction and leaving an abundance of leftovers. This story is not just about the multiplication of bread; it is about the multiplication of love. Jesus shows us that when we share what little we have, God can turn it into something extraordinary.
These readings call us to live out God’s love in our daily lives. Just as Jesus saw the needs of the crowd and acted with compassion, we are called to see the needs of those around us—whether it’s a listening ear, a helping hand, or a word of encouragement. Like the disciples, we may feel inadequate or think we don’t have enough to give, but God invites us to trust in his providence. When we share what we have, even if it seems small, God can use it to make a big difference. Let us ask ourselves: Where can I show love today? How can I trust God to work through me? May we remember that love is not just a feeling but a choice—a choice to act, to give, and to trust in God’s abundance.