Daily Readings - Tue Jan 05 2021
1 John
7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Mark
34When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.35By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. "This is a remote place," they said, "and it's already very late.36Send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat."37But he answered, "You give them something to eat." They said to him, "That would take eight months of a man's wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?"38"How many loaves do you have?" he asked. "Go and see." When they found out, they said, "Five--and two fish."39Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass.40So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties.41Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.42They all ate and were satisfied,43and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish.44The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.
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.