Reading 1
Heb 13:15-17, 20-21
Brothers and sisters:
Through Jesus, let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise,
that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.
Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have;
God is pleased by sacrifices of that kind.
Obey your leaders and defer to them,
for they keep watch over you and will have to give an account,
that they may fulfill their task with joy and not with sorrow,
for that would be of no advantage to you.
May the God of peace, who brought up from the dead
the great shepherd of the sheep
by the Blood of the eternal covenant,
furnish you with all that is good, that you may do his will.
May he carry out in you what is pleasing to him through Jesus Christ,
to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
Responsorial PsalmR. (1)
The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose.
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Gospel
Mk 6:30-34
The Apostles gathered together with Jesus
and reported all they had done and taught.
He said to them,
“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.”
People were coming and going in great numbers,
and they had no opportunity even to eat.
So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.
People saw them leaving and many came to know about it.
They hastened there on foot from all the towns
and arrived at the place before them.
When Jesus disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them,
for they were like sheep without a shepherd;
and he began to teach them many things
Meditation: Mark 6:30-34
“Come away … and rest.” (Mark 6:31)
What a gracious, kind invitation Jesus made to the twelve! It seems that everyone wanted something from him—healing, deliverance, advice, even a good theological dispute. But Jesus made sure that he spent time with his apostles, teaching them how to find rest in God’s presence. He wanted to help them find the right balance between serving God and giving God a chance to serve them and tend to their needs.
Balance. Isn’t that one of the biggest challenges we all face? In a world that emphasizes accomplishments and achievement, the call to rest with the Lord and receive his blessing can sound narrow and self-indulgent. But the truth is that we all need to spend time alone with Jesus. We all need to come to him in the quiet of our hearts and let him minister to us. For without this time alone with the Lord, we will have nothing to offer the people we are serving and caring for.
Writing about prayer, the Jesuit theologian, Hans Urs von Balthasar, once said: “Harassed by life, exhausted, we look about us for somewhere to be quiet, to be genuine, a place of refreshment. We yearn to restore our spirits in God, to simply let go in him and gain new strength to go on living… . In a field of quiet, there lies waiting for us a hidden treasure.”
Don’t give up on that treasure! Don’t let the world convince you that you have all the resources you need to face the challenges of life! Every day, Jesus has special gifts set aside for you—treasures that he knows you will need as you face the ups and downs of the day. These treasures may include a verse from Scripture that you can share with a loved one, a warm embrace from his Spirit to support you in a tough situation, or a dose of courage to help you in the fight against temptation.
So take Jesus’ words to heart today. He is calling you right now: “Come away with me.” Let’s all carve out a time and a place today where we can go with him to rest, to be taught, and to be loved. “Jesus, I am amazed at how deeply you love to be with me.
Here I am, Lord!”
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