A LONELY PLACE

PRAYER MOMENT  

Saturday 8 February 2014.

A LONELY PLACE

Pause. Be still with the Lord “in a lonely place.”

Reading. “You must come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while.”  (Mark 6:30-34).

Reflection. The energy and urgency in Mark’s gospel continues to build. “There were so many coming and going that the apostles had no time even to eat.” So they plan a break. But no sooner do they do that than the people “guessed” – correctly as it turned out – where they were going. So the plan for a break was abandoned and Jesus “set himself to teach them at some length.” What are we to make of this? They will be stressed out. They will reach “burn out”. It is like what we see on TV when there is a catastrophe. Rescuers work through the night. It is the same urgency – to respond to the people’s deepest longing for light, truth, wisdom and freedom.  

Prayer. Lord, did you ever rest? So absorbing was your desire to feed the people with the Father’s good news that you. Help us to share in that same joyful urgency. Amen.