Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)
Jeremiah 23:1-6; Ephesians 2:13-18; Mark 6:30-34
If someone accuses you of being unbalanced, it’s not likely they’re paying you a compliment. Balance is something most of us prize. To lose our balance is embarrassing. To get out of balance is to risk being seen as unstable. And that’s a terrible word to have appear on your recommendation for college or a job.
Balance . . . An engine that’s out of balance can cause some serious problems. Balance . . . it’s the secret of healthy eating. Balance . . . In business there needs to be a proper balance between your receipts and your expenditures. Balance . . . A diplomat must walk a fine line between the needs of two or more countries. An unbalanced walk leads to war. Balance is something most of us consider valuable. It’s also important for us to be balanced spiritually.
Balance is something Jesus tried to maintain in His life. Have you ever noticed when reading the Gospels how important solitude and silence with the Father was to Jesus in the midst of ministering to the people? Just in the Gospel of Mark there are nearly twenty examples when Jesus withdrew from the pressures of daily life and ministry in order to engage in quiet prayer. It’s how He began His ministry. It’s how He made important decisions. It’s how He dealt with troubling emotions like grief. It’s how He dealt with the constant demands of His ministry and cared for His soul. It’s how He prepared for important ministry events. It’s how He prepared for His death on the cross.
Case in point, today’s Gospel in which Mark describes the return of the disciples from their first ministry tour — their inauguration into apostleship. Exhilarated and exhausted, they have stories to tell Jesus — thrilling stories of healings, exorcisms, and effective evangelism campaigns. Perhaps there are darker stories in the mix as well — stories of failure and rejection. Hard stories they need to process privately with their Teacher. Whatever the case, Jesus senses that the Apostles need a break. They're tired, overstimulated, underfed, and in significant need of solitude. And so he said to them, "Come away with me to a deserted place."
And even though they found it difficult to find a place to get away from the crowds, Jesus' invitation to the disciples to rest emphasizes that we all have to rest from time to time from hectic activity. We need that time to regain our strength and renew our spirits, otherwise we soon find that we’re unable to meet the demands that life requires of us.
"Come away with me to a deserted place,” Jesus invited His Apostles.
“Come away with me,” Jesus invites us.
There’s no doubt about it – we live in a busy world. Life can be frantic, frustrating and exhausting. With all the time saving devices in our homes and workplaces, one would think that we would have so much more time to do the things we like to do. But time is something we wrestle with every day. Our lives are packed so full that the day is finished before we have accomplished half of what we wanted to do. In fact, experts tell us that we’re trying to do in one day that not so long ago took three days.
But Jesus invites us to find a place that is deserted, that is, free from distractions, so that we can truly rest. How often do we seek rest and even get away from our normal routine but fail to properly rest because we do too much and are unable to disconnect from our Ipads and cellphones.
In our Responsorial Psalm today, we prayed, “The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want. In green pastures he makes me lie down, beside still waters he restores my soul.” Do we believe that? Maybe, instead, we think we need to get all our work done before we can rest. Maybe we think having a glass of wine is the best way to relax. Work and wine are good in moderation, but neither one restores our souls. That only happens when we lie down in green pastures and beside still waters with Jesus, our Good Shepherd. It only happens when we vacation with Jesus.
The fact is there’s no real renewal of our hearts and lives without God. It’s impossible to experience deep refreshment if we exclude God from our rest and recreation. The soul, an essential part of our being, needs to be renewed as well as the body. Any time off from our labors that doesn’t seek to restore our relationship with Jesus will leave us feeling empty and remaining exhausted at the end of our time away.
So whether you plan a week or two getaway at the shore, the Bahamas, or Disney World, or instead will be having a staycation this summer visiting family and friends and enjoying the local attractions, or if your only time away will be the mere minutes you can spend in the deserted place of your parked car, in your bathroom, during an early morning walk or here in the quiet solitude of our church before the Blessed Sacrament, Jesus says to each of us, “Come away WITH ME.”
How do we do that? How do we vacation with Jesus? How do we find the peace of mind body and soul that no travel agent can guarantee but Jesus does? Here are five things that might help:
- Don’t forget to pack your bible. The words of Scripture continue to bring wisdom, inspiration, comfort and solace to readers today as much as they ever have. Since Jesus is the WORD OF GOD, He is there in every line of Scripture offering refreshment, comfort, peace, or answers to our worries and concerns.
- Lock spiritual time into your schedule. You schedule a lot on vacation. Add spiritual time to your calendar. How else will you guarantee that it happens? You may have good intentions. but if you don’t schedule the time, it will likely not happen. There are way too many things to do that will crowd out your time with Jesus. Make prayer a priority. If you’re not going to speak to Jesus, then have you really accepted His invitation to “Come away with me?” Or have you instead just gone off by yourself?
- Keep your agenda open to redirection. After encouraging the disciples to come away with Him and rest for a while, Jesus doesn’t get the opportunity to do so. The crowds discover Jesus' plans. They are "like sheep without a shepherd." So, Jesus chooses to set aside His needs and the needs of the Apostles and take the time to be with the people. Christian love isn’t always convenient. Christian love is sacrificial in nature. It is in serving the needs of others, that we discover Christ.
- Maintain your standards. The Christian principals an individual or family applies to things like modesty and entertainment are standards we should uphold at all times - even on vacation. Our behavior, conversations, and dress should reflect our Christian dignity.
- Don’t forget to go to mass. Jesus awaits you at the altar of the church near your vacation destination. He desires to wine and dine you on spiritual food – on the bread of life, on the cup of eternal salvation. Don’t miss out.
When I was young, my mom would frequently give me prayer cards that contained beautiful prayers or inspirational poems that she wanted to impart to me. One of them contained the following - an important reminder from my mom to me . . . and now from me to you:
Take time.
Take time to think - it is the source of power.
Take time to read - it is the foundation of wisdom.
Take time to play - it is the secret of staying young.
Take time to be quiet - it is the opportunity to seek God.
Take time to be aware - it is the opportunity to help others.
Take time to love and be loved - it is God's greatest gift.
Take time to laugh - it is the music of the soul.
Take time to be friendly - it is the road to happiness.
Take time to dream - it is what the future is made of.
Take time to pray - it is the greatest power on earth.
