Daily Catholic Lectio
Mon, 20 April 2026
Third Week of Easter
Ac 6:8-15. Jn 6:22-29
Misguided Search
There is something deeply human about searching. We search for meaning, for security, for peace, for God. Life itself becomes a journey of search. But today, the Word of God gently invites us to pause and ask a deeper question: are we searching rightly, or are we searching wrongly?
In the Gospel, the crowd is looking for Jesus. At first sight, it seems like a beautiful act of faith. They make an effort, they cross the lake, and they finally find him. Their question is simple: “Rabbi, when did you come here?” It sounds like a sincere question. Yet Jesus does not answer it. Instead, he turns their attention to something deeper. He reveals that their search, though real, is misguided. They are looking for him not because they understood the sign, but because they ate the bread and were satisfied. They are not truly seeking him; they are seeking what he can give.
This is often true in our own lives. We search for God, but sometimes only for our needs—when we are in difficulty, when we lack something, when we are troubled. We seek solutions, not relationship; gifts, not the Giver. Our search is real, but it remains incomplete.
If we look more closely at the Gospel, we notice something that the crowd missed. They carefully observe the boats, the movements, the places where Jesus might be. But they fail to notice one important detail: Jesus had gone up the mountain alone. This becomes the missing piece in their search. They look around, but they do not look up. They search horizontally, but not vertically.
How often we do the same. We expect God to be present in ways that suit us, in places that are convenient for us, according to ideas that we have already formed. We set limits: God should be here, God should act like this, God should respond in this way. And when he is not found within our expectations, we continue searching in the same direction, without changing our vision. A misguided search often comes from trying to fit God into our boundaries, instead of allowing ourselves to be led beyond them.
Then comes the second question in the Gospel: “What must we do to accomplish the works of God?” This is a good question, a sincere question. The people are ready to act, to do something meaningful. But Jesus gives a surprising answer: “This is the work of God: that you believe in the one he has sent.” They are thinking of many actions; Jesus points them to one essential reality—faith. They are focused on doing; Jesus calls them to trust.
This reveals another dimension of our misguided search. We often think that we will find God through our own efforts, by doing more, achieving more, proving ourselves more. But faith is not first about our effort; it is about our openness. It is not about reaching God by our strength, but about receiving God in trust.
The first reading offers us a contrast in the person of Stephen. He stands before opposition and accusation, yet he is calm and firm. He is not restless, not confused, not anxious. Why? Because his search has already found its center. He is rooted in God. The people who oppose him cannot resist the wisdom and the Spirit with which he speaks. His face reflects a deep inner peace.
Stephen is not searching anxiously for God; he is living in communion with God. When our search is misguided, we become restless and easily disturbed. But when our search is rightly directed, it leads to stability, courage, and peace.
Today, the Word of God invites us to examine our own hearts. What are we truly seeking? Do we look for God only when we need something? Do we limit him to our expectations? Do we reduce faith to activity without relationship? Or are we ready to let God purify and redirect our search?
There is a quiet and beautiful truth here. When we stop trying to control the search, when we allow God to lead us beyond our limits, when we begin to trust more deeply—then God allows himself to be found. Not because he is weak, but because he is love.
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
A ‘Yesni Prays’ Initiative
Yesu Karunanidhi 
Leave a comment