For the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
He said to them,
“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.”
Mark 6:31
Ah, summer… for many of us it means a chance to slow down some, enjoy good weather and take a rest. That might be a vacation somewhere off in a “deserted place.” Or it could just be travel to a familiar place that has some meaning for you. It may be just a few hours, or a couple days.
Jesus knew the human need for rest and restoration. We need it every night, to close one’s eyes and unplug. And we need longer periods, too: To retreat some and take stock. That’s how I view the gift of summer. It helps me every year to take the long view—and to reconnect with who and what is most important in my life, often by connecting to distant family through travel. And most of all, to find more time to pray, not less.
If you don’t do this already, summer is a good time of year to plan an annual retreat. Don’t treat going on a spiritual retreat as luxury. It may very well the most important thing you do with Jesus all year long.
Stay close to Jesus, dear reader. May we find rest in him.
