John 6: 22-29
The next day the crowd that had stayed on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there. They also saw that Jesus had not got into the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. Then some boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus.
When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.”
Then they said to him, “What must we do to perform the works of God?”Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved. http://www.usccb.org/bible/approved-translations
What must we do?
The long-standing spiritual tradition of the “morning offering” places our daily routine within a faith-filled context. However I pray as I begin the day, God’s good grace frames all I will speak and accomplish in an integrated way. Today’s gospel speaks to this framework of faith: carrying forward the words and work of the Lord in partnership with Jesus, the “One whom God sent.”
Grounded in this daily spiritual framework, perhaps a difficult meeting will go better. Or creative solutions found to a long-standing business challenge. Or the right words to say to someone I meet on the street. Or a smile as I walk into the house after a hectic day. Have faith!
—The Jesuit prayer team
Prayer
I want what you want, O Lord. By asking you for guidance today, nothing I am asked to accomplish becomes ‘too much’ or ‘too bothersome.’ Nor is there any room for worry. I ask you today to be a partner in my work…to weigh my actions and decisions in the light of ‘is this right?’ ‘is this just?’ ‘is this doing your will?’
Give me your confidence, O God, that by wanting what you want, I need not worry about the outcome. I will live my life knowing that it is your will, your good purpose I accomplish.
—National Conference of Christian Employers and Managers