Presence

As I sit here, the beating of my heart,
the ebb and flow of my breathing, the movements of my mind,
are all signs of God’s ongoing creation of me.
I pause for a moment, and become aware
of this presence of God within me.

Freedom

Fill me with Your Holy Spirit, Lord,
so that I may have inner freedom.
Let Your Spirit instil in my heart
a desire to know and love You more each day.

Consciousness

Dear Jesus, may I always be aware of Your presence,
Your power and Your Love,
all the days of my life.

The Word of God

²²The 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 gotten into the boat with his disciples but that his disciples had gone away alone. ²³But some boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. ²⁴So 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.

²⁵When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” ²⁶Jesus 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. ²⁷Do 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.” ²⁸Then they said to him, “What must we do to perform the works of God?” ²⁹Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

Inspiration

We have evidence in some of the gospel stories presented here that many went out of their way to experience Jesus’ company because they knew that they wished for something more than they already had.   His response was to let them know that perhaps they were searching for the wrong thing. They craved bread for the body, whereas nourishment for the soul was more urgently needed.

Conversation

“He looked at him and loved him”. (Mark 10:21). Can I allow myself to sit in the loving gaze of Jesus, Who loves me at all times and places, in all circumstances? God always looks at me with unconditional love.

Conclusion

I thank God for these few moments we have spent alone together and for any insights I may have been given concerning the text.

Amen