Reading I
1 Jn 4:19–5:4
Beloved, we love God because
he first loved us.
If anyone says, “I love God,”
but hates his brother, he is a liar;
for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen
cannot love God whom he has not seen.
This is the commandment we have from him:
Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God,
and everyone who loves the Father
loves also the one begotten by him.
In this way we know that we love the children of God
when we love God and obey his commandments.
For the love of God is this,
that we keep his commandments.
And his commandments are not burdensome,
for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world.
And the victory that conquers the world is our faith.
Gospel
Lk 4:14-22
Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit,
and news of him spread throughout the whole region.
He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all.
He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,
and went according to his custom
into the synagogue on the sabbath day.
He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.
Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down,
and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.
He said to them,
“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
And all spoke highly of him
and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.
Meditation: 1 John 4:19–5:4
We love because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19)
Wait! Before you read another word, take some time to ponder this absolute, foundational truth. Because God first loved us, he created us. Because he first loved us, he has never turned his back on us. Because he first loved us, he brought us back to himself through the obedient sacrifice of his Son. The very core of our relationship with God must begin with this unshakable truth: God loves us.
The Scriptures are filled with testimonies of God’s faithfulness, his persevering love, and his acts of mercy and grace toward his people. From the beginning, when our first parents turned away in self-centeredness, God did not abandon them. From that moment on, he has been pursuing us, drawing us back to himself. He freed the Israelites from slavery and brought them into the Promised Land.
No matter what crisis Israel faced in their new home, God was always there to show them the way out. He guided them through judges and kings, reached out to them through prophets, and ministered to them through priests. He was always ready to forgive them when they called out to him and to teach them when they sought his word.
Just as God embraced the Israelites, so he reaches out to all of us in Christ. He is our eternal priest, prophet, and king. He is the One who frees us from sin so that we can enter into the promised land of heaven.
Do you believe that God loves you with his whole heart? Can you see how, on every path you have followed, he has been there? Even the dangerous, sin-filled paths? When you were lost and confused, he was speaking to your heart and leading you. When you were mourning and grieving, he put his arm around your shoulder and held you close. He is always speaking to you in the Scriptures and feeding you in the Eucharist. In the voice of a friend, the touch of a loved one, even the warmth of the sun, he is with you, drawing you to his side. He simply cannot contain his love for you!
“Lord God, I love you because you have first loved me! I am forever grateful you called me your own and never let me go. Help me to build my life on the foundation of your unfailing love.”
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