Doing...Being...Trusting

18th Sunday of Ordinary Time ~ From the Gospel [John 6:28-29]: "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." People are consumed with their work. We identify our SELF by our work. "I am a teacher", I am a student. I am...unemployed". So much of our identity and our self perceptions, our self-worth is built upon the sometimes insecure sands of our work and accomplishments. We strive to follow a path that will fulfill our plans, hopes and expectations. In the Gospel reading this Sunday we observe those who were seeking Jesus presenting Him with a vital question: "What must we DO, to be doing the works of God?" Perhaps to better understand our Lord's response we might distill the question into six words: WHAT MUST WE DO...TO BE?" The question of our being is one that is central to our existence, to our identity. What must I be doing? What am I to...BE? At 60 plus years old I confess I still wonder and dream what I will be..when I grow up! The answer to our being isn't found in our work, ethnicity or culture. It isn't found in our genealogy or environment. All those facets and more help form who we are but they are just that, facets of the gem that is our soul. To know what we must "DO...TO BE" we need to heed the response of Jesus. "This is the work of God, to BELIEVE in Him and whom He has sent." Our present day obsession with self will find this difficult. Are we not to believe in self? Is not all the universe at my beck and call? Hardly. If the extent of our faith is our self it is a faith of infinite ...smallness. Christ makes the path very clear..TO BE we are called to BELIEVE in God, in Him. It is from the simplicity of this relationship that God then can lead us on the path of BEING the person He created. As God leads over the bridges of His making, through the mountains and valleys of His purpose we not only work the will of God we discover His work, daily in our lives. It is important to realize this is profoundly a relationship of FAITH, rooted in LOVE. We may not know the way or purpose. But we can trust that God does. And, we discover, as we follow faith we live out our being, our purpose, In God. "WHAT MUST WE DO...TO BE?" In believing in God we discover we are His. We discover we are created to be God's creation and children of faith lived courageously in Love with God alive in His eternal hope. God, may my words, my works, my being proclaim my trust and love in you. May my being be yours.