Most of us have had the experience of working so hard on a project that we start feeling overwhelmed. Sometimes it is a project at school or work, at others it can just be the way your whole life feels. It can be when things are very hard and you just pray you will make it to the other side. It can also happen when things are going so well that you forget to stop and eat. If you can identify with this, I hope you take the advise from today’s Gospel (Mk 6:30-34) when [Jesus] said to [the Apostles], “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” We need to take time to take care of ourselves. We can not help “Build the Kingdom” if the house is on fire.
I would suggest trying to duplicate what happened with the Apostles. Not only did they get away from the crowds, but they sat with the Lord and let him teach them. At least take time to pray and read the Bible. Even better, do this with a community. Some of you might be lucky enough to have friends and family that you can sit down and pray with. For the rest of us, don’t forget about your local Parish. Ours offers Mass six days a week, numerous times to get together to pray the Rosary as a small group, and Eucharistic Exposition every Wednesday from 12:30 to 3:00 pm. Let us be the friends and family who you pray with, and rest a while with the Lord.
