Shalom

8 Jan Tue	Tuesday after Epiphany
	1 Jn. 4:7-10 Ps. 71:2.3-4ab, 7-8 ; Mk. 6:34-44

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John's letter reminds us of the absolute centrality of love in our lives. It is the one sure sign that we are close to God. And that love is above all to be directed to him through other people. Once we are acting in love towards others we know that we are in God because all love comes from him. No matter what else they may do, anyone who does not love does not know God ?because God is love. And this love is made known to us by Jesus, the Son of God. We have a perfect example in today's Gospel. As Jesus came ashore with his disciples (and it seems they were looking for quiet time by themselves), they are faced by a large crowd. Immediately Jesus is filled with compassion as they look like sheep without a shepherd. He proceeds then on the one hand to teach them about the Kingdom, the Way to life and happiness, and also to feed them with an abundance of food. So much so that there are twelve baskets left over ?each one representing the disciples who had been commissioned to do this feeding. We, too, are called on to fill the emptiness of people's lives by our acts of love towards them. How will I be a loving person today?

Jesus, be the food and nourishment of my life so that I may in turn pass on that nourishment to others.

DAILY OFFERING

Eternal Father, I offer You everything I do this day; my thoughts, words, joys and sufferings. Grant that, vivified by the Holy Spirit and united to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, my life this day may be of service to You and to others. I also pray that all those preparing for marriage discover in Sacrament the source of Christ's grace for living a fithful and fruitful love. Amen.

PRAYING WITH THE CHURCH

INTENTION
That Christians may intensify their efforts to announce together Jesus Christ, the only Saviour of the world.
Elaboration

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P R A Y I N G W I T H T H E C H U R C H

INTENTION :	That Christians may intensify their efforts to announce together Jesus Christ, the only Saviour of the world.
In the Apostolic Letter At the Beginning of the New Millennium Pope John Paul II looks towards the future and exhorts the members of the Church not to be afraid to leave the coastal waters "where there is nothing to fish" and move into deep waters. If we are prepared to do this, our catch will be abundant. The Pope particularly exhorts Christ's disciples to intensify their efforts to bring greater unity in the Christian Community. The invocation "Launch out into the deep" is a binding imperative, the strength that sustains us, and a salutary rebuke for our slowness and closed-heartedness. It is on Jesus' prayer and not on our own strength that we base the hope that even within history we shall be able to reach full and visible communion with all Christians. Our trust that we may succeed in attaining the full and visible communion of all Christians, "rests on Jesus' prayer, not on our own capacity". The Lord calls us to unity and will not fail to pour forth His grace on us. But in this context also, as in all our relations with God's salvific grace, we too must do our share. God does not save us against our will; God does not save us if we do not collaborate towards our salvation.
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