In the Gospel of this 16th Sunday in ordinary times, Year B, (Mark 6:30-34), we hear the apostles recounting their successes as they came back from their first mission away from their Master, Jesus Christ. Looking at them, though, Christ saw exhaustion; a need to refuel, to regroup, and to take in some fresh air, and so He says to them, “Come away by yourselves to a lonely place, and rest awhile.” Jesus knew that His disciples needed to take some time-out so that they can have the strength to meet the challenges ahead.
Unfortunately, our society has become so addicted to work to the extent that when we are not somehow engaged, we feel lost or even empty. In a study about Americans and work habits, it was found that on the average, American spends 72 hours a week maintaining job-related contact and work-related tasks, not including chores and everyday tasks at home. About 81% checked their work email over the weekend and more than 59% checked their work email while on vacation. About 6% checked their work email while their spouse was in labor and another 6% checked their work email at a funeral. It was also found that, on average, more than 10 hours a day was spent looking at screens in one form or another, with much of that time devoted to work related topics. Yet, increased screen-time has been associated with increased reports of depression, stress, increased risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, accelerated aging, and even the formation of brain lesions associated with Alzheimer’s. Isn’t it amazing that our work-related habits seem to be working us into an early grave.
It is not an uncommon proposition that our inability to rest seems to be an exposition of a much deeper problem that may be related to the idea that people tend to desire to be self-sufficient without God. Yet, the effort that it takes to do so does, very easily, leave many exhausted and empty. St. Vincent De Paul once said, “It is a trick of the devil…to incite [souls] to do more than they are able, in order that they may no longer be able to do anything.” My friends, there does come a time when it is important to put down our phones, remove our thoughts from work, and just rest, be recollected, and spend a little bit of time communing with God, alternating our lives between work, relationships, physical exercises, and spiritual renewal.
Many people have found it helpful to establish a rule of no phones, tablets, or screens during family meals, so that the family can have time to enjoy each other’s presence. Some have established regular routines of taking short walks each day with family members or alone with God. Some others have established routines involving regular Mass attendance, being part of a Bible Study group, prayer and devotional groups, private visits to the Blessed Sacrament, Eucharistic adorations, etc. These are all powerful ways of taking time to withdraw and to be at rest in the Lord, and luckily, we have all these devotions and opportunities in our parish.
Let us find ways to rest with Jesus on a constant basis, to be with family and friends, to recharge our batteries, and to enjoy and appreciate the things that God has put into our lives. It is the one who can work today and tomorrow while preserving all that matters in life that is a true winner. May God grant us the grace to remember to “Come away to a lonely place and rest a while”.
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