Today’s Gospel teaches us much about the character of Jesus the Son of God. His empathy and desire to do his Father’s will is paramount. Even when exhausted and needing time to rest and recover, he put the people first.
Today we remember our place as followers of Jesus in that same crowd, and we question how dedicated we are to following him with such vigour as we read in St Mark. Do we follow him to the ends of the earth to hear his wisdom? Do we, in other words, use all that is available to us to further our love for him, our devotion to the Sacraments, our knowledge of Scripture and Church teachings? Whatever our answer, today’s Gospel is pause for thought in our journey into God.
We also remember those who take the place of Jesus in a ministerial capacity, the priests, prelates, nuns and monks of the world, who do not rest because of the work entrusted to them, and who have entire communities at their doors for help and consolation, for spiritual succour. May we keep these people in our prayers, and support them in what other ways we can.
And, if you are not one of those people just mentioned, it is worth remembering that today’s Gospel reaches out to all of us, because we are all ministers of Christ. In whatever ways we give Jesus to others and ourselves, may we do so with more vigour and joy, more authenticity to the Gospel.
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you
And with your spirit.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark 6:30-34
Glory to you, O Lord.
The apostles rejoined Jesus and told him all they had done and taught.
Then he said to them: ‘You must come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while’;
for there were so many coming and going that the apostles had no time even to eat. So they went off in a boat to a lonely place where they could be by themselves. But people saw them going, and many could guess where; and from every town they all hurried to the place on foot and reached it before them.
So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he set himself to teach them at some length.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ