God is Love

Homily for the Tuesday after the Epiphany

The First Letter of St. John was written toward the end of the first century after the composition of the Gospel of St. John. It is most frequently referred to as a response to a situation which developed in the Christian community by certain members who denied the human nature of Jesus and maintained that the appearance of Jesus as a man was simply a stepping stone to a higher knowledge of God. These theological errors are rejected by an appeal to the reality and continuity of the apostolic witness to Jesus. The author affirms that authentic Christian love, ethics, and faith take place only within the historical revelation and sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Love as we share in it testifies to the nature of God and to his presence in our lives. One who loves shows that one is a child of God and knows God, for God’s very being is love; one without love is without God. The revelation of the nature of God’s love is found in the free gift of his Son to us, so that we may share life with God and be delivered from our sins. The love we have for one another must be of the same sort: authentic and merciful. This unique Christian love is our proof that we know God and can “see” the invisible God.

These truths are also present in the Gospels. The opening words of today’s Gospel text speak of Jesus seeing the vast crowd which moved his heart to pity for them. They are described as sheep without a shepherd. It was not too long ago that we heard of a group of shepherds who came to see the newborn King. Now the Gospel text presents the Lord Jesus as a shepherd himself who has come for us. He is here to protect us, to feed us, to care for us, and to guide us. As he guides the people with his teachings, he also feeds them and relieves their suffering.

Here we are thousands of years later, and Jesus is still feeding us and guiding us. Ours is a hunger that only he can fill. St. Mark does not mention the boy who provides the loaves and the fish which Jesus multiplies and distributes to the people. However, that boy stands as an example to us. Let us offer Jesus what we have that he might multiply it for his purposes and feed us what we need.