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Reading: 1 John 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.

The word of the Lord.

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“Whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen,” John says in our first reading.

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It seems like a simple idea: love your God by loving your neighbor.

What makes this commandment difficult, however, is defining who our neighbor is.

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I’ve always been drawn to the Missionaries of Charity, a religious order founded by Mother Teresa. 

They’ve inspired millions around the world because of who they consider their neighbor to be:

The addict. The homeless. The hungry. The infected. The poorest of the poor. 

In a word, the loser.

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This is what Jesus asks of us, to see his face behind every person, especially those who are down on their luck, or who struggle to love themselves. 

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Who is someone I struggle to love? Or, how can I expand my view of my neighbor?

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With God’s grace, may we see them in a different light today. 

“For whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.”

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Gospel: Mark 6:45-52

After the five thousand had eaten and were satisfied,
Jesus made his disciples get into the boat
and precede him to the other side toward Bethsaida,
while he dismissed the crowd. 
And when he had taken leave of them,
he went off to the mountain to pray. 
When it was evening,
the boat was far out on the sea and he was alone on shore. 
Then he saw that they were tossed about while rowing,
for the wind was against them. 
About the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them walking on the sea. 
He meant to pass by them.  
But when they saw him walking on the sea,
they thought it was a ghost and cried out. 
They had all seen him and were terrified. 
But at once he spoke with them,
“Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!” 
He got into the boat with them and the wind died down. 
They were completely astounded. 
They had not understood the incident of the loaves. 
On the contrary, their hearts were hardened.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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This is the first time that the disciples are without Jesus. And what happens?

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Disaster strikes!

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While they’re on a boat crossing the Sea of Galilee, a major storm approaches – one so large it causes these professional fishermen to fear they’re drowning.

Meanwhile, Jesus tries passing them by, walking calmly across the waves. What terrifies the disciples doesn’t seem to disturb Jesus at all.

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Was this a test?

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Perhaps.

Keep in mind, the disciples just watched Jesus feed five thousand people with only five loaves of bread and two fish. 

If he can perform a miracle like that, then why would they fear for their safety? Shouldn’t they trust him?

We’d casually say, “Of course.” And yet, “their hearts were hardened.” 

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Like the disciples, there are times in our lives when it feels like we’re drowning, overwhelmed by the waves of debt; grief; doubt; temptation; or COVID fatigue.

But if Jesus has led us this far in life, then why would he abandon us now?

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“Take courage,” the Lord says. “Do not be afraid. It is I.” 

Whenever life causes us to lose our balance – like fishermen staggering on a boat – we must trust that the Lord is nearby, walking on the water.

He will calm the storm.

But sometimes we must be patient, remembering we will not drown. 

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Gospel: Mark 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.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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The multiplication of the loaves is the only miracle recorded in all four Gospels. Why did it make such an impression upon the disciples?

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The answer that can be lengthy – too much for a short, morning reflection! Allow me to offer just one reason why.

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The multiplication of the loaves reveals two different reactions to human need. 

When the disciples see the large crowd and realize how many are tired and hungry, they want to dismiss them. “Send them away,” they say to Jesus. 

How many in our world have that same type of attitude? 

They see suffering happening all around them – long food lines, empty bank accounts, victims of hatred – and like the disciples, they say, “Send them away.”

Let someone else worry about them.

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Jesus, on the other hand, sees the tired and hungry crowd and decides to feed them. 

This is the Christian attitude. We see the same suffering happening around us as others, but we act. We take what little we have – five loaves and two fish – and start feeding the crowds.

Somehow, miraculously, we accomplish more than we ever thought possible.

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If everyone had a Christian attitude, if everyone pitched in to solving the world’s problems, then we’d not only feed five thousand for a day; we’d feed them for a lifetime.

Who, then, is one person I can feed today, either with bread or with love?

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“Give them some food yourselves,” Jesus says.

It’s what Christians do.

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(This picture was taken from the church built upon the site where Jesus multiplied the loaves and fish).