Pastor’s Column for July 21st, 2024
This weekend in the Gospel reading, we heard that after Jesus had sent the Apostles on Mission and they had now returned, they reported to him all that they had done and what they had taught. I guess they must have looked a little worn-out, because Jesus then tells them to “Come by yourselves to an out-of-the-way place and rest a little.” (Mk 6:31)
Just because they had had a successful first effort, it did not mean that the demands of being disciples were now going to let up. Quite the contrary, as happens often in our lives, when we finish one job, there’s two more that present themselves! Doing one thing well seems to lead to even more being asked of you. The Scriptures go on to say that the “people were coming and going in great numbers, making it impossible for them to so much as eat. So, Jesus and the apostles went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.” (Ah! Good move!) However: “People saw them leaving, and many got to know about it. People from all the towns hastened on foot to the place, arriving ahead of them.” (Mk 6: 31-33)
Following the Lord can certainly be challenging, whether it’s volunteering at a parish (by the way, we’re looking for some parents to be hall monitors for the children in our after-school program—contact our DRE, Elizabeth Smith), or fulfilling whatever your primary vocation is at this moment in your life, such as being a mom or dad, a spouse, a single person, a student, or even a pastor. The solution, however, is not to give up, but rather do what Jesus did and what he invited his disciples to do after their return from Mission: take time to find balance. For example, earlier in the Gospel of Mark, after Jesus had a very busy day that lasted well after sunset and evening drew on, it says that “rising early the next morning, he went off to a lonely place in the desert; there he was absorbed in prayer.” (Mk 1: 35) He needed that time with his Father to keep focused on his mission, not get distracted or frustrated, and keep his balance.
Certainly, being a disciple can seem like we’ve taken on an ever more demanding lifestyle, but if it seems overwhelming, something’s out of order. At that point we need balance. We need to balance prayer and action, balance work with relaxation and recreation (re-creation?). That’s part of being a good disciple! (A little confession here: I’m still working on that myself.) However, I have to say that the world around us, and our American culture in particular, militates against having balance. Our culture applauds working yourself to death, being busy all the time even at the expense of health or relationships, whether with family, friends, or God.
I really think that far too many Catholics in the U.S. today lack balance. They are much too busy, DOING things, active all the time. Too often it seems we can’t take time to slow down and rest a while! When’s the last time you sat, calmly, watching the sun set? (OH, right! Who’s got time for THAT?) When’s the last time you sat at a table together with family or friends and really were in the moment, and not worried about what needed to be done later? When’s the last time you came to Mass, to the Eucharistic Table, without thinking about things you’ve got to do later? Now, maybe you’ve answered the above questions well, but if not, I have some suggestions, especially about Sunday.
First: Take some time… to at least get to Mass. Take time for God, to set aside the rush, the anxiety of the week, and bring it to Mass. If you live in a family, come together to Mass, and then later be together as a family around a dining room table, to extend that Eucharist. Be present in the moment.
Second, again about Sunday: It’s not the time to do all of the regular work that we couldn’t get done in the rest of the week! (“Thank God it’s Sunday, so I can try to catch up!”) That’s out of balance! It’s supposed to be the Sabbath, a day of REST. In case some Catholics are confused about this, it’s still a teaching of the Church! It’s also number 3 in the list of the ten commandments, and I think it was probably included to keep God’s people in balance. “Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord, your God. No work may be done then...the Lord has blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.” (Exodus 20:9-11) —Otherwise we’d work ourselves silly and get out of balance. So, it’s a rule of God and a rule of the Church, for our good.
The world would lead us astray. “Here’s what’s going to make you happy: Work your brains out! Work until you have no time for family or friends! Then you will have enough money to buy happiness.” So... we’re to have happiness later if we don’t lose our money in the stock market. We’ll find happiness in possessions, which will fade and are never enough, instead of the joy of relationships immersed in love.
Don’t believe the world.
Take sometime today to enjoy family and friends. Take time on each Sunday, like Jesus did with his disciples, to relax with the Lord—not “get LAX” with the Lord. (“It’s too nice a day, let’s go to the beach instead of Mass.”) That would be pretty much missing the point. Let’s reclaim Sunday for the Lord and get our lives back in balance!
Again, I encourge you to review the entire Pastoral Note, “The Beauty of Truth,” on our website.
In Jesus,
Fr. Michael
