Reading 1
1 Jn 4:7-10
Beloved, let us love one another,
because love is of God;
everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.
Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.
In this way the love of God was revealed to us:
God sent his only-begotten Son into the world
so that we might have life through him.
In this is love:
not that we have loved God, but that he loved us
and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.
Ps 72:1-2, 3-4, 7-8
Responsorial PsalmR. (see 11)
Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
The mountains shall yield peace for the people,
and the hills justice.
He shall defend the afflicted among the people,
save the children of the poor.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Gospel
Mk 6:34-44
When Jesus saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them,
for they were like sheep without a shepherd;
and he began to teach them many things.
By now it was already late and his disciples approached him and said,
“This is a deserted place and it is already very late.
Dismiss them so that they can go
to the surrounding farms and villages
and buy themselves something to eat.”
He said to them in reply,
“Give them some food yourselves.”
But they said to him,
“Are we to buy two hundred days’ wages worth of food
and give it to them to eat?”
He asked them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.”
And when they had found out they said,
“Five loaves and two fish.”
So he gave orders to have them sit down in groups on the green grass.
The people took their places in rows by hundreds and by fifties.
Then, taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples
to set before the people;
he also divided the two fish among them all.
They all ate and were satisfied.
And they picked up twelve wicker baskets full of fragments
and what was left of the fish.
Those who ate of the loaves were five thousand men.
Meditation: 1 John 4:7-10
“Love is of God.” (1 John 4:7)
A farmer goes into the field at planting time. He tills the soil, then carefully places the seed into the ground and waters it, hoping for a bumper crop. In a similar way, our heavenly Father has planted the seed of his divine love into each one of us. As he waters and nurtures this seed, he rejoices at the crop it produces—a harvest of love for one another.
It’s funny that, as deep as the gospel message is, it can still be expressed in three simple words: God is love. We can live in love because he has loved us first and planted the seed of his love into the depths of our hearts.
But how does this seed grow? John is very clear about this in today’s first reading. Love comes from God, and if we know God and are open to his love, then the seed sprouts, and we are able to love. If we turn away from God’s love, we find it a lot harder to love other people. Anyone who has been in love knows that love isn’t something we generate on our own power. It rises up within us, a wonderful gift from God and a taste of his divine love. It only stands to reason that the more we come into contact with his love for us, the more we will be able to love everyone else—even when we don’t feel like it!
God longs to see us love one another. We may struggle with hurts that have been inflicted upon us in the past, but we can lay these issues at the feet of Jesus and know his peace. We may not know how to show our love, but the Holy Spirit can show us the way.
Brothers and sisters, our Father is speaking words of love to us right now. He is asking us to open our hearts. His love is boundless. It is endless and strong. His love is perfect. Let his love wash over you now. Release everything to him, and let him fill you!
“Father, how boundless is your love for me! I know you have placed your seed in my heart. I trust in your love for me, and the power of that love. May it flow out of me to more and more of my brothers and sisters.”
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