January 8, 2014

Wednesday after Epiphany 
Lectionary: 214
Reading 1 1 JN 4:11-18

Beloved, if God so loved us,
we also must love one another.

We must love one another the way Christ loved us.

No one has ever seen God.
Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us,
and his love is brought to perfection in us.

 God is love, therefore, if we love one another God remains in us.

This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us,
that he has given us of his Spirit.

 God is a spirit of love and the spirit of God is love. Those of us who live according to the spirit of love belong to God.

Moreover, we have seen and testify
that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world.

 St. John the apostle is giving his testimony that he saw the only begotten son of God come into the world.

Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,
God remains in him and he in God.

  Those who believe in Jesus Christ and acknowledged that Jesus Christ the son of God will be saved.

We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us.

 Jesus demonstrated the love of God to the apostles and convinced them by the offering of his body and blood upon the cross.

God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.

Whoever loves his brother remains in the love of God.

In this is love brought to perfection among us,
that we have confidence on the day of judgment
because as he is, so are we in this world.

 We live in hope of the resurrection. Love is made perfect in that we trust God completely. We trust that God will bring us to perfection.

There is no fear in love,
but perfect love drives out fear
because fear has to do with punishment,
and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love.

 We no longer fear God but  love God. Therefore, we cry out to him, "Abba, Father!"

Responsorial Psalm PS 72:1-2, 10, 12-13

R. (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 kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;
the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.

R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

 Jesus Christ has made manifest the love of God in the world. All the world will turn to God in adoration.

 Gospel MK 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.

 Jesus Christ fed the 5000 and sent his disciples across the sea.

And when he had taken leave of them,
he went off to the mountain to pray.

Then he went up the mountain to pray. is

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.

Then, in the middle of the night, Jesus walked on the sea towards them.

He meant to pass by them.
But when they saw him walking on the sea,
they thought it was a ghost and cried out.

Jesus intended to walk to Bethsaida, upon the sea, and join them there.  But the Apostles saw Him and were terrified.

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.

So, Jesus joined them on the boat to comfort them.  When He got into the boat with them, even the wind died down.  The Apostles were completely confused.  They had understood nothing.  They did not even understand the feeding of the multitudes.