In his First Letter, Saint John teaches us three important things about God: God is light (1Jn1:5), God is just (1Jn 2:29) and God is love (1Jn 4:8,16). While he is anxious to teach his community true doctrine, as the basis for a true spiritual life, we may sum up most of his teaching in the Letter thus: a true Christian spiritual life must be grounded in correct doctrine and a concomitant correct morality. Today's extract from the Letter concentrates on the teaching that God is love and so he stresses that fidelity to this new Covenant demands true acceptance of each other in loving fellowship for faith and love are intertwined.

When Jesus saw the crowd who had come to him he took pity on them "because they were like sheep without a shepherd." Pity will lead to care and mercy. Pope Francis frequently calls on us to experience how God is merciful to us and so learn to be merciful to others. Many people in this modern world are indeed "like sheep without a shepherd," and need the guidance of the truth which Jesus brought to set us free (Jn 8:32).