The Return of the Twelve [July 22, 2012]

The Sunday Gospel [July 22, 2012]

Mark 6:30-34

30The apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. 31He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat. 32So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place. 33People saw them leaving and many came to know about it. They hastened there on foot from all the towns and arrived at the place before them.

Reflection

He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” ~ v. 31

The Gospel today shows both the Lord Jesus and his disciples immersed in serious work. They labor hard for the kingdom. They serve the people with eagerness and total commitment. They were not driven merely by the desire for success. Jesus and his disciples were sincere in their work but their work was not to have the highest priority.

Receiving his disciples from their successful mission, Jesus reminds them of the importance of rest, solitude and recharging. He taught them a valuable lesson in hard work: No one can be continually productive without moments of separation from the many preoccupations of the world.

Today many people have to be reminded to rest; to listen to their bodies’ aches and pains and to respect the limits of their bodies. Many people enslave themselves in their work for a good reason – to live, to provide, to fulfill their destiny. But at what cost? Doctors blame the rising pressures and tensions in our lives as the cause of many stress related diseases. People get sick in their mind before they get physically infirm. Other values are sacrificed at the altar of money and self-fulfillment: quality time with spouse, bonding with children, health concerns, and relationship with God.

By inviting his disciples to rest awhile, Jesus is reminding us that we cannot overextend ourselves and forget the things that matter most. There is a message that modern men and women need to hear. The break the Gospel advocates is also an invitation to rest in the Lord. We need to make time for God in our lives. To continue being effective at work, we need to ask the help of God.

Just as it is important to recreate our energies by relaxing and engaging in bonding activities, we also need to continuously renew our hope and confidence through prayer and other spiritual activities. That is why we have retreats, recollections, seminars, Daily Masses and the adoration chapel. Do you avail yourself of these? This week, improve your performance at your work by learning to pause and relax. Spend time with the Lord who renews fatigued muscles, tired minds, and sapped spirits. Rest in the Lord.

Reflection Credits: Fr. Ranil R. Marcos. MA. STL; Proclaim, Reflections on the Sunday Gospels, slightly adapted

Source: The Reflection is from Bro. Abel Navarro (you can visit his blog at http://myblogabelnavarroabel.blogspot.com/).