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?