At the opening of the Gospel this weekend (Mark 6, 30-34), we see Jesus inviting His disciples to go with Him to a quiet place to rest and have some quiet. Yet, when they get to their chosen destination, they find that the crowds have gone ahead of them and are awaiting their arrival. We see here an example of the kind of tension that exists in the life of every committed disciple of Jesus; there is always a push and a pull between who we are called to be and what we are called to do.
On the one hand, there is the need to draw away to a quiet place and to recharge our batteries, to rediscover who we are, to reflect on and evaluate who God is calling us to be, and to let God regenerate our spiritual energy. At the same time, there are constant demands on our commitment to serve; there is always more than plenty to do. We need to respond generously and empathetically to where there is “real need,” but that isn’t always easy to discern.
St. Paul, in his Letter to the Ephesians (2, 13-18) offers us some assistance with regard to this discernment. He suggests that we ask: how are we following faithfully in the footsteps of Jesus? How are we bringing union between people, breaking down the barriers of division, helping one another live more fully as God’s children, and creating a community that gives and shares?
We are called to join the Good Shepherd in bringing scattered and divided people back together, in breaking down the barriers that separate us from each other – whether that is on the level of the nation, a race or ethnic group, on the level of religion or social class, or simply bringing back into the fold those who are consistently kept to the margins of our society. Only in this way will the Peace of Christ become a reality in our hearts, in our world, and in our Church.
Let us pray. “Good Shepherd, teach us to walk as you walk: beside those in mourning so that they will know joy; beside those in fear so that they will know comfort; and beside those in hunger so that they will feast until their cup overflows. Let your goodness and love follow us all our days. Help us strive to build on earth what you have promised us in heaven. In your Holy Name we pray. Amen.”
