But I told you that although you have seen me,
you do not believe.
Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,
and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
because I came down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.
And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on the last day.

John 6: 36-39

Here are the complete readings for Wednesday, May 7, 2025.

(The miracle of the five loaves and two fish … a modern Ethiopian painting in Mount Saint Joseph Abbey, Roscrea (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2018))

Reading the Gospel followed by the stanza from the Fundamental Principles, I am struck by how the gifts of belief and trust can lead to one’s freedom. It seems almost counterintuitive to think this way, because we usually associate freedom with control and autonomy. When we live a life that has some aspect of vocation, though, this choice forces us to create space for the unknown, and being open to turning towards something or someone that was not in our original plans. We fear the loss of control. It is instinctive and quite natural as humans. Can we trust in what Jesus said in the Gospel, that he will never lose anything, or anyone, who has been entrusted to God’s care. If we meditate on the nature of freedom, isn’t it less about personal autonomy and more about living a deeper, more joyful life through our connection to a God who then shares us with other people we may be blessed to encounter?

 Friend,
You have freely chosen
to respond to the call of God
to live a life of love
in faith and trust,
as a disciple of God’s Son, Jesus Christ,
in a Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School or in your community.
In calling you
God too was completely free.

– The Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers

God,  thank you for accepting me without reservation. Even though I am not quite ready to respond to your call, your voice never grows impatient. Help me to let go of my fears of being judged for being honest and real with myself and my loved ones. Continue to encourage me to surrender to the joyous reality of whom I am meant to be. I do not see the path ahead, but I want to believe.

Amen