Readings:
1 John 4: 7-10
Mark 6: 34-44
Reflection:
1 John 4: 7-10 Let us love one another, since love comes from God.
Mark 6: 34-44. As Jesus “stepped ashore,” He took pity on them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd.
God’s love for us was revealed, that is it was made obvious when God sent into the world his only Son. This passage, so soon after celebrating the birth of the tiny Saviour, is a great way to welcome a new year.
Soon into the new year, Mark brings our attention to the reason for the presence of this tiny child so soon grown into the man of compassion. The gospel presents us with the now full-grown man Jesus. As Jesus ‘stepped ashore’ he took pity on the crowd of people because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus was never intending to be an outsider to our lives.
There was a big crowd. Jesus talks to them for a long time. They were rapt at His words. Then the day was gone and it was getting late. The disciples come with advice to Jesus: It’s getting late. This is a lonely place. Send them away so they can go and find a farm to buy some food. And Jesus has a better idea. He says: “Give themselves something to eat yourselves!” Impossible they say.
Jesus says: Bring what you’ve got. Then he blesses their tiny offering. Jesus has ‘stepped ashore.’ Then he gives it to his disciples and tells them to distribute it to the hungry crowd. The people have not only been hungry to hear his world. They are also needing a bit of food.
Surely this message is a real Christmas message for us too. The feast is not just about a few days to say nice words and give gifts. Christmas, the birth of the Christ among us, calls us to be willing to keep on using our talents and our generosity to keep feeding other people in our lives.
Having pity is not just to feel sorry for others who are in trouble. It is, in the footsteps of the Master, about willingness to share what little we have, but only after it is blessed! Then there will be enough to go round and to satisfy the needs of the people who are around us.
It reminds me of the words of Howard Thurman on the work of Christmas:
“When the song of the angels is stilled, When the star in the sky is gone, When the kings and princes are home, When the shepherds are back with their flock, The work of Christmas begins: To find the lost, to heal the broken, to feed the hungry, to release the prisoner, to rebuild the nations, to bring peace among others, to make music in the heart.”
May this new year of 2025 truly be a year of jubilee -when we forgive debts owed to us, and the hand of peace and reconciliation is held out to everyone.
Fr. Kevin Dance CP is the vicar of the St.Brigid’s Retreat, Marrickville. He is very actively involved in ministries locally and at Passionist International where he served as the Executive Director for many years.