Giving the Lord a Break

Mark 1:29-39 (Sunday Gospel 2.7.21)

In this week’s upcoming Gospel, we find Jesus touching the hand of Simon the Zealot’s mother-in law who lay gravely ill in her bed. After exorcising her illness, she immediately was healed.  Afterward, word spread in the village and the townsfolk brought their loved ones who were broken and sick to be healed also.  And so, it was done.

Like yourselves, I am fully acquainted with exhaustion, but I often ponder just how drained the Lord was after performing such miracles. Is it even possible to relate to His condition?  Am I being sacrilegious by trying to identify with his condition?  I am not sure of the answer to these questions, but what I do related to is the toll it takes on myself by trying my best to live in some type of accordance with the Gospel.

Throughout the New Testament, it is apparent that Jesus needed to get away from everyone periodically.  Sound familiar?  He disappeared in the darkness of the morning, seeking prayer in the silence and solitude of the hills and mountains. In this account, it did not take long after He left to pray when he was discovered by His disciples.  They told him that a growing crowd of people were needing Him.  What remains apparent in the Gospels, is Jesus’ consistent response to someone in need.  He never excluded or refused anyone God’s graces, even when exhausted.  From His departure from the desert to His death on the Cross, He worked hard. I must admit that I feel sorry for Him and say to myself, “Wow, the Lord cannot seem to get a break at times, why can’t they just give Him some space?”  It was obvious that Jesus knew the importance of praying to His Father by disappearing into the night.  It was then that He found refreshment and the energy to carry on His mission.

Recently, I ran across a great prayer written by Cesar Chavez who led his people out of the desert of civil rights abuses and was an American labor leader for the Latino community.  He wrote, “ Show me the suffering of the most miserable, so that I will know my people’s plight,”  It appears that all worthwhile goals takes hard work. 

Brother and sisters let us be reminded that we too must carry out the noble mission of Jesus, Cesar Chavez and many others who follow in the footsteps of Our Lord.  We seek clarity and truth from God alone.  Perhaps getting up a wee bit earlier tomorrow to follow Jesus into the hills and to pray alone.  Maybe you might want to take a different approach?  Rather than asking for something, ask the Lord what you can do for Him this day.  Yes, it is an exhausting time to live now and we all need a break, but the promises put forth from God will be out ultimate reward.  There will be time to rest, but for now “let’s get to work.”

The Pilgrim