The Apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat. So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place. People saw them leaving and many came to know about it. They hastened there on foot from all the towns and arrived at the place before them. When Jesus disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.
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The apostles have just come back from mission. They need to take stock of what they have done, to give a report to Jesus. More importantly, they need to recover their physical and spiritual energies so that they may be ready for future initiatives. In fact, they soon find out that there are people out there looking for them and their Teacher, like sheep in need of shepherds. In order to have a leisurely meal (meals were always leisurely events) and to renew the bonds among his disciples, Jesus invites them to go “to a deserted place.” What is described here is basically an uninhabited place with a very small population, where Jesus and his disciples can have more “privacy” – far from the people who come and go, and who want to know what Jesus and his disciples are up to next. We can see in Jesus’ invitation something akin to going to a recollection or retreat. Do we take time to join others for some spiritual exercise? Do we find time to be alone with the Lord and with our thoughts during the busy hours of the day?
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SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2021,” ST. PAULS Philippines, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.
