It is 9th January 2019. The readings are from 1 John 4:11-18; and the Gospel from Mark 6:45-52. Our love cannot just always remain in words. Some of us are good with words and we mesmerize the hearts of the others with flowery words. The words have tremendous power and influence when it is spoken in truth and love. It is the power of love that heals us and chases all fear from our life. When people have lost the capacity to love the others, they are constantly living in fear. More we live in fear, more we become selfish, sick and unsettled. People who have issues of loving end up either overindulging in eating, drinking, shopping, abusive and all kinds of bodily pleasures. Even the most loving person appears to be a ghost. There are some who seek to use the others for their own pleasures change friends, partners and constantly disconnect from the family ties. God’s love in us is incomplete until we love others without any indifference. If we love others only to satisfy our carnal pleasures, we are denying the original offer of God’s love. God loves us for nothing. We do not need any merit of our own except the willingness to love others to enjoy the favour and benevolence of God’s love. God lives in our hearts only when we provide the environment to accommodate the other as they are. Love needs to be honoured and acknowledged with respect, dignity and altruism. Whenever love turns sour in a relationship, it brings lot of fear. Unless we perfect our love with one another, we might end up punishing the others under the same banner of love. True and selfless love never inflict pain in others. The moment someone inflicts pain in others, they put love under pressure that would explode into pieces that cannot be mended again. It is not how much other person has loved us is the criteria for loving but the measure of God’s love in us is. God’s love in us becomes perfect, fruitful and generative only when it is shared with the other person. In the first reading, St. John teaches us that God’s love needs to recognised in the sacrificial love of Jesus. The Trinitarian love in which we witness the exchange of love. We imitate God and brought closer to God day by day by loving others. We experience the closeness of God as we are willing to express the love for the other. Our love for ourselves must not exceed the love of others. Our love remains imperfect unless we translate every effort to love the other. We can go on loving others however imperfect in their reciprocity with the strength we obtain from Jesus. The responsorial Psalm acclaims, “Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.” (Ps. 72:11). In the Gospel, we meet the Lord who prays and calms the storm in the sea and deals with fear in the hearts of disciples. “Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid.” (Mk.6:50). No matter whatever we go through in our lives, Jesus is willing to deal with it if we can place our trust in Him. May the Lord help us to recognise the fear and the storm in loving others and ask the Lord to intervene in our lives. May you have a good day. God bless you.