Reflection
Rather than reflect on today’s very familiar Gospel story, Mark’s version of the feeding of the five thousand, I want to focus on the beautiful passage from the First Letter of St. John. This passage returns to John’s primary theme of divine love.
Love is more than a feeling. Love is a person. Three persons. As John eloquently states, “..for God is love.” Every aspect of true love, whether received or given, is “of God.” The essence of our Christian identity is love. Whether it’s God’s love for us, our response of love to God, or the true love we give to others, the source is always God in the person of Jesus Christ. True love is active, seeking the good of the other person. Our love for others is our response to the immeasurable love we have received from our Savior. Our true love for others is also our response to the Father who created us out of love and for love. Lastly, our love for others is what happens when we allow ourselves to be guided by the love of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.
Briefly, it is important to note that I have used the phrase ‘true love’ to describe the only love that St. John knew from his time with Jesus. Unfortunately, in today’s world love is a term used for more than just the pure love of God. The world today wants to convince us that love can be an act done for self-pleasure. That is not true love! The only love to which we are called by God is the love of which God is the source. True love is sacrificial love, known by the Greek word Agape. True love is giving of ourselves completely so that the love of God can be experienced by the one receiving it.
How do we make the true love of God the theme of our Christian life? First, let’s examine our relationships. Is our relationship with God an experience of His love for us and our loving response of praise and sacrifice for Him? What drives our relationships with others? Is our expression of love for others unconditional and directed for their benefit, or is it seeking some sort of mutual benefit or self-gain?
Next, let’s look at our activities. Are our actions seeking to serve others, helping them experience God’s love through us? Let’s examine our thoughts, words and attitudes. Does our experience of God’s love for us make us joyful so that we actively praise others and help them feel God’s true love? Lastly, how do we respond to the times we are wronged by others? Do we forgive others, hoping that they experience God’s forgiveness through us? Even during His suffering on the cross, Jesus asked the Father to “forgive them, for they know not what they do.”