MK 6:30-34
The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves.
Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
Rest, Reflect, and Retreat
Ministry – or family life, or simply being human – can be a double-edged sword. The apostles have just returned after being sent out by Jesus to cure the sick, drive out demons, and preach repentance. They had been successful, and he knows they are tired and need a break, so he tries to give them one. Jesus attempts to take the disciples on a retreat! He’s teaching them the importance of self-care, something that was apparently as challenging then as it is now.
The crowds not only follow them, but they actually arrive at the destination before Jesus and the apostles do! Jesus took pity on the people, and they (Jesus and also the apostles, I am imagining) continued to teach and heal in spite of not getting their well-deserved break. I imagine that at some point Jesus and the apostles were in fact able to get some time for rest, or they wouldn’t have been able to sustain their teaching and healing ministries.
How often do we step back from the good work that we are doing in our lives and take a much needed break to rest and reflect? Is it time for a retreat?
—Mandy Dillon is a Retreat Coordinator at Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House in Barrington, IL and is also in the Spiritual Direction Internship program there.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, you invite us to take time apart and rest a while with you. We often have trouble stepping back from our daily lives and all the good that we are accomplishing to take care of ourselves in this way. Help us to recognize when we need to spend time resting with you and to be able to make space for that in our lives. Amen.
—Mandy Dillon