Mk 3:7-12
Jesus departed with his disciples to the sea, and a great multitude from Galilee followed him; hearing all that he was doing, they came to him in great numbers from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and the region around Tyre and Sidon.
He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him; for he had cured many, so that all who had diseases pressed upon him to touch him. Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and shouted, “You are the Son of God!” But he sternly ordered them not to make him known.
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.
What Do You Need to Get Away From?
Hearing about Jesus wanting to escape the crush of the crowd brought the 1985 Chicago Bears to mind. When I stepped out of my downtown office building the day of the Super Bowl victory party, the crowd on the sidewalk picked me up and carried me a few feet before I could break away. Nowadays, I don’t need to get away from crowds celebrating Bears’ victories. But I do need to get away from the crush of my to-do list, other people’s expectations of me, and, most oppressive of all, my expectations of myself.
Jesus, who had infinitely more important things to do than anything on any of our to-do lists, was willing to admit that he just needed to get away from it all. May we follow his example and structure our lives to allow for alone time with God, and, maybe, even find time to go on a retreat.
What do you need to get away from?
—Peg Anderson is an attorney with Fox Swibel in Chicago and is on the board of Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House in Barrington, Illinois.
Prayer
Jesus, help us to make spending time with you a priority. We have so many excuses for not doing so. Help us see that our excuses are nonsense. Help us to give ourselves permission to seek out your warm embrace. Help us be present to you as you are always present for us. Amen.
—Peg Anderson