A Penitent Blogger
Give them something yourselves
We call ourselves Christians: people who believe in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of the Father.
We call ourselves Christians: people who seek to follow in the footsteps of Christ.
Today’s readings give us a clear look at the way to follow those footsteps.
The Gospel (Mark 6:34-44) begins with the compassion of Christ.
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.
The first reading (1 John 4:7-10) ties together the sacrificial love of God revealed in Christ with the love that we need to have for one another.
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.
The love that we are to have is not just a warm feeling or vague good wishes.
The love that we are to have is to be sacrificial.
We turn back again to the Gospel, which had begun with the compassion of Christ.
In the second verse of the passage, the disciples have identified a real and immediate need: the people are hungry.
As good people of faith, the disciples bring this need to the Lord.
The Lord tosses it back at them.
Give them some food yourselves.
Like the disciples, you and I need to have our eyes open, so that we can quickly identify the needs around us to which we must respond.
In responding to these needs, we must give of ourselves – even to the point of sacrifice.
We must also not despair because of the overwhelming needs around us. The miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes shows us how the power of God can cause our faithful, sacrificial efforts to blossom in ways that can be unexpected and glorious.
We call ourselves Christians: people who seek to follow in the footsteps of Christ.
Today’s readings give us a clear look at the way to follow those footsteps.
The Gospel (Mark 6:34-44) begins with the compassion of Christ.
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.
The first reading (1 John 4:7-10) ties together the sacrificial love of God revealed in Christ with the love that we need to have for one another.
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.
The love that we are to have is not just a warm feeling or vague good wishes.
The love that we are to have is to be sacrificial.
We turn back again to the Gospel, which had begun with the compassion of Christ.
In the second verse of the passage, the disciples have identified a real and immediate need: the people are hungry.
As good people of faith, the disciples bring this need to the Lord.
The Lord tosses it back at them.
Give them some food yourselves.
Like the disciples, you and I need to have our eyes open, so that we can quickly identify the needs around us to which we must respond.
In responding to these needs, we must give of ourselves – even to the point of sacrifice.
We must also not despair because of the overwhelming needs around us. The miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes shows us how the power of God can cause our faithful, sacrificial efforts to blossom in ways that can be unexpected and glorious.
posted by Penitens | 7:42 AM
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