Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

07-22-2018Weekly Reflection©2018 Liturgical Publications, Inc.

"Now what?" It's a difficult thing to hear, isn't it? The train comes late, a child unexpectedly cries, and the latest public policy debate flares up in the news. Life throws us curveballs, and we have no choice but to adapt. Jesus and the Apostles find themselves in that exact situation in today's Gospel.

The Apostles have returned from their two-by-two missionary journey. As Jesus hears all of their stories, he knows they need time to recover and refresh. "Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." Their wilderness retreat is short-lived, however, as eager crowds discover their location. Jesus is well aware of the needs of his disciples. Still, as he looks out at the crowd, "His heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd." The rest break is over. "He began to teach them many things." For those of us who have experienced a taste of much-needed relaxation only to have it taken away abruptly, perhaps we surmise what the Apostles might have been feeling in that moment.

But Jesus isn't being inconsiderate of the Apostles needs. He offers them -- and us -- a lived lesson. St. John Paul II wrote, "The whole of Christ's life was a continual teaching: his silences, his miracles, his gestures, his prayer, his love for people, his special affection for the little and the poor, his acceptance of the total sacrifice on the Cross for the redemption of the world" (On Catechesis in Our Time, 9). In Jesus' choice to teach, we see all of these things: sacrificial love, concern for the marginalized, and priority of people's needs over personal preference. These aren't abstract ideals. They're lived realities as we strive to live and love like Jesus. When a new obstacle confronts you in your life, how do you respond?

Todos necesitamos tiempo para descansar. Un lugar apartado del bullicio para estar a solas es importante de vez en cuando. Es hermoso ver en este Evangelio, que Jesús mismo invita a sus discípulos a apartarse del bullicio y de las personas que los buscaban. "Vámonos aparte, a un lugar retirado, y descansarán un poco. Porque eran tantos los que iban y venían que no les quedaba tiempo ni para comer" (Mc. 6:31-32). Jesús sabía de sobra que si la misión consumía a sus discípulos, no podrían llevarla a cabo. Se necesita un balance entre el trabajo y el descanso. Es importante fijarse en la actitud de Jesús. ¿Cómo responde Jesús cuando sus apóstoles regresan de la misión? ¿Cómo responde Jesús cuando la gente los sigue hasta encontrarlos?

La respuesta de Jesús es compasiva en ambas situaciones, y su enseñanza es importante. Pastorear, guiar, compañar, no dejar a las personas a la deriva. El punto clave es saber cuándo es necesario un descanso y cuándo es tiempo de evangelizar. El reto para la sociedad de hoy es aprender a tomar un tiempo de descanso. Todos corren de un lado a otro. Van contra reloj. El trabajo y las actividades abruman. Los doctores, consejeros y psicólogos están saturados de pacientes con la enfermedad llamada tensión. Se debe poner en práctica la enseñanza de Jesús; saber descansar es esencial. Por ejemplo, los domingos son para estar con la familia y los amigos, para disfrutar de una buena comida junto con ellos. ¿Cuándo fue la última vez que fuiste de vacaciones con tu familia?