In this coming Sunday’s Gospel, we will hear, “He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” Jesus needed rest. While you read this message, my family and I are out resting! (Well, we are on a family vacation to Delaware to visit family with everyone in tow, so kind of resting!)
Anyway, my point is, we all need to rest but rest in God, even in those quiet moments at a shore or backyard or a walk during the day. Jesus was conscious of the efforts that their mission entailed and knew that it was important to recover their strength. Jesus sometimes went to a deserted place or pushed away from the shore to get away from the crowd, to rest and to recover His strength through His deep prayer to God the Father.
However, Jesus’ rest is never simply a rest, but a moment that He uses to teach the disciples of the more profound significance of the Kingdom of God. Even while Jesus rested, He was always helpful and sensitive the needs of others. In fact, when Jesus was going by boat to a solitary place, the crowd saw Him and went ahead of Him, awaiting His arrival on the shore. Jesus felt compassionate towards the crowd and didn’t avoid them but went to meet them and to teach them many things. And, in our gospel today, even while getting away, he saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things!
Jesus gives an example to all Christians, especially for those who have received the personal vocation to be missionaries in the world like us at Saint Miriam. Yes, our ministry is shared with bishop, priest, deacon, volunteers and each of you who call this wonderful place home. Pope Benedict, in a homily to priests during the Chrismal Mass, said that those who have been chosen by God to dedicate all their life to Him and to the others, no longer belong to themselves. My own mother, at my sacerdotal ordination, after receiving my first blessing as a priest, held my face in my hands and said, Now, Jimmy, you belong to God, and you can’t come home when you want to anymore.” A huge move from an Italian mother who demanded her children be at home every holiday and birthday. She knew something I didn’t, from that day forward, I lost many holidays and rest times, but they knew I loved them just the same. My work, though, was here.
At the same time, recently Pope Francis stressed the importance of the rest in the pastoral life during the international meeting of priests. In fact, it is necessary to recognize our limits and the fact that we can’t do everything alone, with humility. We have to allow ourselves to be helped, resting at the right times. “Even this is a pastoral work: to find and to have the humble courage to rest”. May God grant each of rest to come home and zealously do the work He calls us to do!
Blessed Week,
+Jim