Fr. Manuel João, comboni missionary
Sunday Reflection
from the womb of my whale, ALS
Our cross is the pulpit of the Word
Jesus, the Disciples, and the Crowd
Year B – Ordinary Time – 16th Sunday
Mark 6:30-34: “They did not even have time to eat”
If we wanted to grasp the main theme emerging from this Sunday’s readings, we could summarise it around two concepts or figures: the shepherd and rest.
– First Reading: “I myself will gather the remnant of my flock from all the countries… and bring them back to their pastures, where they will be fruitful and increase in number… and Israel will live in safety” (Jeremiah 23:1-6);
– Responsorial Psalm: “The Lord is my shepherd; I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters” (Psalm 23);
– Second Reading: “He [Christ] is our peace” (Ephesians 2:13-18);
– Gospel: “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.”
From the outset, we ask for the grace to recognise Christ as our Shepherd, the only one who gives us a foretaste of the joy of “Rest,” the goal of a Christian’s life and humanity. Our life is a pilgrimage in the desert towards the rest of the “Promised Land.”
A Failed Escape!
The Gospel passage narrates the return of the Twelve whom Jesus had sent on a mission last Sunday. We have heard the story, but let’s try to relive it by imagining the scene. The evangelist tells us that “the apostles [this is the only time Mark calls them apostles] gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.” So, on the date that Jesus had set for them, they showed up, perhaps trickling in, to report what they had “done” and “taught.” The apostle always returns to the sender, to the source of the mission. Jesus listens to them with satisfaction and, noticing their fatigue, invites them to take a break: “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” There was indeed too much commotion from people “coming and going.” The Master was the attraction. Perhaps other people from the villages the apostles had evangelised wanted to accompany them to meet Jesus. The fact was that “they did not even have time to eat!”
The group needed not only physical rest but also quiet, reflection, and discussion with Jesus and their companions to evaluate their first mission experience. They risked being overwhelmed by the frenzy of activism or even falling into the trap of self-importance. “So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.” Several other times, the Master had withdrawn from the crowd to be alone with his disciples. However, this time the crowd figured out their plan and reached the place on foot even before them. A failed escape! How did Jesus react? He “had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began teaching them many things.”
Let’s now try to put ourselves in the shoes of the three protagonists of this Gospel passage: Jesus, the apostles, and the crowd.
1. JESUS: “had compassion on them.” He was moved with emotion in front of the crowd and changed his plans. His attitude is a double challenge for us. First of all, his compassionate gaze. Everything begins with the gaze. Our view of reality depends on our type of gaze. Cultivating a compassionate gaze is an absolute priority today. Through the media, we see these suffering crowds every day and risk becoming accustomed to others’ suffering, to the point of numbness and indifference. The compassionate gaze must be cultivated: how? By being mindful of the judgments and prejudices that arise in us, anaesthetising our feelings. Then, translating compassion into acts of solidarity, even if they may seem like a drop in the ocean of human suffering. Saint Paul says, “Have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5).
We are also challenged by the promptness with which Jesus reacts to this situation. Upon seeing that crowd, the apostles must have felt irritation, as we often do when someone or something forces us to change our plans. Perhaps we come home from work, tired, wanting to rest, but instead, the children wait for us to play, or our spouse expects our attention or help. Sometimes, we have a task to finish, with time running out, and someone interrupts us… Allowing oneself to be interrupted to welcome a person, being available to change our plans, prioritising others, and knowing how to “waste time,” all this is part of the asceticism of service!
2. The APOSTLES: “did not even have time to eat.” Often their situation is ours too. Too busy with our tasks, dragged by the frenzy of our days, we risk becoming spiritually malnourished and, without even realising it, being sucked into the abyss of a materialistic vision of life. It is essential to cultivate moments of pause, silence, and quiet to read Scripture or a good book, to reflect and pray. Moreover, we all should have “a solitary place” to retreat to at certain moments: a church, a sanctuary, a park… Finally, it would be appropriate to check how we spend Sunday, if it is truly a day of rest, physically, mentally, and spiritually.
3. The CROWD: “were like sheep without a shepherd.” It was the crowd Jeremiah spoke about in the first reading (see also Ezekiel 34), a multitude adrift, a neglected crowd by the shepherds. When the shepherds do not fulfil their task, thieves, robbers, and wolves step in, seducing and exploiting people, offering illusions and leading crowds down paths of death.
This crowd can also be us. In moments of discomfort and inner emptiness, of fatigue and searching for meaning, of drift and confusion, if we are not careful, we can all be enchanted by the pipers that abound in our society. May the Lord, in moments of crisis, make his invitation resonate in our hearts: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28).
Weekly Exercise Proposal: Develop a rest plan (physical, mental, and spiritual) for this holiday period.
Fr. Manuel João Pereira Correia MCCJ
Verona, 18 July 2024
