Memorial of Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr
“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while,” Jesus says to his apostles in today’s gospel reading (Mk 6:31). The apostles, we are told, have returned from healing the sick, expelling demons, and preaching the kingdom of God. Further, they have all, presumably, just heard the news of John the Baptist’s beheading by Herod. This is a lot!
Jesus shows his compassion for his disciples by suggesting some rest and food. We should also notice that Jesus asks them to “come” meaning that they would all go rest and eat together with Jesus. We may be tempted to think that because Jesus is fully divine that he wouldn’t need such things as rest and food. The gospels, however, show us repeatedly that Jesus not only needs these things, but that they are a central part of his ministry.
It gets all the more interesting, though, when the crowds, so enthralled with Jesus, beat them to their destination. At this point, how many of us would have asked for a break? Would have asked the people to allow us to recharge our batteries before we could engage them once again? I think of the many times that I lay down to take a break and my three year-old daughter starts tapping on my head or pulling my arm. She’s just so excited at the prospect of playing and learning new things with me! Sometimes I am graced to respond with love and set myself aside. Other times I cannot get outside of myself to love another.
Jesus, we are told, was “moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd” (Mk 6:34). Despite his own need for rest, food, and reflection, the depth of his love for the crowds trumps all of those personal desires and he begins to teach them. His self-sacrifice feeds a deeper hunger.
There are, I think, three related things we should take from today’s gospel.
- We, like Jesus, need to take time to rest and eat. All of these things are not “added” to our life in Christ, but indeed a key component of it!
- Though, like Jesus, we cannot allow these concerns to overtake the call to selfless love at the heart of the gospel.
- This, of course, is not possible on our own. When it seems impossible for us to give anymore or to love anymore, we have to know that we have a shepherd in Jesus who leads us and gives us the strength to carry on.
- Tim Gabrielli