Lectio Divina Reflection – 1 John 4:19–5:4

“Those who love God must also love their brother and sister.” 

As I prayed with this passage, I was struck by how tightly love, God, and our brothers and sisters are woven together. We are told that we love because God loved us first, and that love for God cannot be separated from love for others. The words are simple, but they leave little room for excuse.

This echoes St. Benedict’s teaching that love of God is proven in concrete action. In the Tools for Good Works, he writes: “You are not to act in anger or nurse a grudge… You are not to love quarreling; you are not to foster hatred” (RB 4). Love is not a feeling we claim, but a way of living we practice.

As I sat with this longer, another connection emerged. Jesus teaches us to pray “Our Father.” If God is truly our Father, then we are truly brothers and sisters to one another. St. Benedict makes this visible in his rule on hospitality: “All guests who present themselves are to be welcomed as Christ” (RB 53). Love of God and love of neighbor are not two paths, but one.

In prayer, I am challenged to ask whether my love of God is visible in the way I receive and treat those around me.

Prayer: Lord, teach me to love You by loving my brothers and sisters, with a love that is patient, concrete, and true.