St. John Neumann, bishop 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊   

1 John 4:11-18

 Dear friends,

If such has been the love of God, we, too, must love one another.  No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love comes to its perfection in us.

 How may we know that we live in God and he in us? Because God has given us his Spirit.  We ourselves have seen and declare that the Father sent his Son to save the world.  Those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in them and they in God.

 We have known the love of God and have believed in it. God is love. The one who lives in love, lives in God and God in him. When do we know that we have reached a perfect love? When in this world, we are like him in everything, and expect with confidence the Day of Judgment.

 There is no fear in love. Perfect love drives away fear, for fear has to do with punishment; those who fear do not know perfect love.

 

Ps 72:1-2, 10, 12-13

Lord every nation on earth will adore you.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊  

Mark 6:45-52

Immediately, Jesus ob­liged his disciples to get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, towards Bethsaida, while he himself sent the crowd away.   And having sent the people off, he went by himself to the hillside to pray.

 When evening came, the boat was far out on the lake while he was alone on the land. Jesus saw his disciples straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, and before daybreak he came to them walking on the lake; and he was going to pass them by.

 When they saw him walking on the lake, they thought it was a ghost and cried out;   for they all saw him and were terrified. But at once he called to them, “Courage! It’s me; don’t be afraid.”  

 Then Jesus got into the boat with them and the wind died down. They were com­pletely astonished, for they had not really grasped the fact of the loaves; their minds were dull.

 

  fear vs Love

In the incident narrated in today’s gospel, apostle John would have been present. All the disciples were cowering in fear in the middle of a storm in the sea.

However, much later, the same John would write – as we read in today’s first reading – about fearlessness. Between these two accounts, something happened: John experienced perfect love. Perfect love casts out fear. How and when?

When we realize that we have been loved by a love that we had never known ever existed. John experienced it: The disciples were out in the sea, Jesus was in prayer on the land. How could he see them straining at the oar if they were so far out in the sea at night?

Love sees everything and reaches out every time. Fear dies when such love meets us. rather, fear dies the moment we become aware of such love being present and watching over us, even when we may not feel it right away.