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.
Actions centered in love
The Apostles think that they are about to get some time off and it is well deserved. They had been so busy with good works that they didn’t even get the chance to eat. Taking a break is important for us to remember as we can so easily put work above everything. We often choose work over family, friends, and God. We need to remember why we are doing the work we are doing, for the sake of love and building the kingdom. Oddly enough, this is the reason Jesus ends their vacation before it even starts. People were so hungry and desperate for him that Jesus couldn’t help but love them. It appears that Jesus doesn’t even need to think about it that much. Maybe that’s because when love is at the center of all that we do, those painful feelings of sacrifice take a back seat.
—Alex Hale, SJ, is a Jesuit scholastic from the Midwest Province studying philosophy at Loyola University Chicago.
Prayer
The Lord is my shepherd, I will not be in need. He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name.
—Ps 23: 1-3