Gospel Meditation - 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Burnout. Recent studies suggest that roughly two-thirds of doctors and nurses have signs of it. You probably know what burnout is: long-term stress leading to emotional exhaustion and a lack of a sense of personal accomplishment. Burnout can threaten anyone who tries to seriously serve and love others. How does our faith inform this challenging experience, and how do we find refreshment? The apostles face something like burnout this week in Mark 6. They are run down from their missionary work, and Jesus says, “Come away by yourselves to a lonely place, and rest a while.” For them, and for us, it takes humility to intentionally rest. It means the world can go on without us. It stings our pride to admit God is necessary and we are not. Choosing to leave our good work to be with him — whatever the cost — is an act of humble faith. And that trust in God begins to revive us. But there’s more to it. Hilariously, Mark tells us that throngs of needy people find out where the apostles are going and arrive ahead of them. Imagine the exasperation of the burnt-out apostles. “Can we please get a minute to ourselves? This is not healthy!” And Jesus seems to encourage the boundary violation by telling his frayed followers to feed the crowd. Look: once we move into humble rest, he calls us to more work, because we are made for love, not for rest. But Jesus does the vast bulk of the labor. He himself is the one who multiplies the small offering until everyone is satisfied. What finally gives our heart rest isn’t more vacation time. It’s experiencing the super abundant generosity of God for us and those whom we serve.
— Father John Muir ©LPi
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