Daily Readings - Tue Jan 07 2020
1 John
7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.8Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.9In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.10In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Mark
34When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.35And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, "This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late.36Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat."37But he answered them, "You give them something to eat." And they said to him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them 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."39Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass.40So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties.41And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all.42And they all ate and were satisfied.43And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish.44And those who ate the loaves 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.