Come away and rest, Homily, 16th week of Ordinary Time, Cycle B

 I’m sure that after the year and half of dealing with the pandemic that many of us looked forward to a vacation to get some rest and relaxation.    I just got back from a vacation myself.  The one thing I looked forward to most was doing nothing, no schedules, or timetables, just relaxing.    Anyone here felt a little bit like that this after all the challenges we’ve all been through?    Well imagine that you just arrived at your vacation destination, and you are all ready to go relax by the pool.  As you arrive at the pool you are greeted by your boss telling you that the vacation is canceled, and you’re being called back to work.   That would be very disappointing to say the least.     

 

I’m sure that the apostles may have felt a little bit like this after their mission that Jesus sent them on. Jesus had just sent the twelve out on a mission with authority over unclean spirits.  The apostles reported their ministry to Jesus of driving out demons and curing the sick.  He recognized the apostles human need to be refreshed after their hard work and invited them to: “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place to rest for a while.”   So, the apostles went out in a boat with Jesus to a deserted place.  Before the apostles got to their destination a vast crowd of people were already there.  

 

We don’t know how the apostles responded, but they must have been a bit overwhelmed by all the people. We do know what Jesus did.  He was moved with pity, and he taught them many things.   Jesus responded as a shepherd, one who provides spiritual care for the suffering and misfortunes of others.  Jesus in his humanity recognized the need for rest and connecting with the Father to be spiritually refreshed.  That’s why he encouraged the apostles to get away to spiritually recharged.  We hear quite often of Jesus going to deserted places to pray.   This as well refreshed him by being with His Father and gave him the ability to minister to so many.   He also recognized the needs of the people who came to meet the apostles and himself.  They were yearning for someone to take care of them follow, like sheep without a shepherd.  Jesus would soon be feeding the multitudes of people who came seeking him in the miracle of the multiplication of the fish and loaves.   

 

It’s important for all of us to get rest and recharge.   Vacations and time away from work or school help with this.    But we know that vacations come to an end and we our routines of work, school, and caring for family will resume.   How do we keep refreshed and recharged spiritually on an ongoing basis, so we don’t get overwhelmed?  By getting away to a quiet place daily to spend some time with Jesus.    We can do this by spending some time each day with Jesus by reading Scripture and praying on its meaning.  By doing so we can learn from Jesus to help us with the our challenges in our own lives.

 

Sometimes it can be difficult to know where to start in reading the Bible.   Picking one of the four Gospels and reading a bit each day can be a good way to do this.  There are some excellent easy to understand commentaries on the Gospels that can help interpreting them.   Catholic commentary on Sacred Scripture is series that I use. The readings for daily Mass are also excellent resource to follow.  The readings include the scripture from the Old Testament, the Psalms, and the Gospels.  Most Catholic bibles have a list of the daily readings. There are also many printed and online resources available for these daily readings that come with reflections that help to prayerfully reflect.  Quite a few of them are available as audio recordings listen to while doing other activities.  

I hope that all of you can get some rest and relaxation in this summer.   As you do so include some time to recharge by resting with Jesus each day in His Word and prayer. If you spend just 5 or 10 minutes, you’ll be amazed at how much you will be refreshed by spending time resting with Jesus each day.