Saturday – 4th Week in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Mark 6:30-34
Gimme A Break!
Road? What Road?
A lot of the schools around here are still closed because of the weather -4 days in a row and still counting! But it’s not so much the snow; that pretty much melted away over the last couple of days – it’s the ice! Many of the back roads/driveways are too remote/too steep to be plowed; add to that, they are so tree-lined that, even on a sunny day, they rarely get much direct sun to melt the ice. (Case in point, today’s pic! Road? What road?)
So, the warning is clear! Stay home; don’t take chances! And if you have to be out on the roads, slow down. These are serpentine rollercoaster roads! Slow down and be safe!
And that is what we hear in today’s Gospel. You can almost read between the lines. Jesus and His disciples are exhausted. The Apostles have just returned from their missionary journeys and are eager to share their stories with Jesus. Jesus, in their absence, has continued to teach and preach and heal. Jesus recognizes their exhaustion and convinces them to go with Him to a desert place – to pray, refresh their souls and restore their physical energy. To slow down!
But no such luck! The crowd follows them and Jesus, out of compassion, sees their need and begins again to preach to them. Aah, so much for the best laid plans, eh?
That is a pointed reminder to all of us who call ourselves disciples! Remember to take time for yourself! Take care of yourself; if you don’t, who will! Get rest when/where you can; recharge those spiritual batteries and come back renewed and refreshed! (Now, if only I could take my own advice!)
“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.”
Comments
Post a Comment