"Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." Mark 6:31

Reflection:

We all have faith, but there are times when it seems to dim. Many would call it a spiritual dry spell. Just like when we work at our regular jobs, we get tired. And the need for a vacation is often a remedy.

When it comes to faith we have the Lord's Day, the Sabbath as our day of rest. When we practice our faith we also have, a gathering that directs us, this is called a retreat. It could be done on your own or in groups, guided or unguided. But it is often to recharge the spiritual batteries of those who seek rest from their ministies.

Or as lay people we go on vacations with our families, but often we exclude a place of worship in our time of rest from work. Yet this is where we should seek our rest. Going to Church is peaceful, it recharges our spiritual batteries so we can be an effective light.

There are some who head to the mountains to seek solitude, to bring themselves closer to nature and to God when they let him in. I too love to go to the mountains. This is where I too can recharge my dryness in spirit, to recharge my own lagging spirit. Today I go North to recharge my soul. I go to a place where I always find renewal.

We are given a special gift from Jesus, a way to seek him in solitude. Let us all strive to be bright beacons of light, not burnt out light bulbs, because we refused to change our ways and learned to rest on the Day God Made For Us to rest on.

Jesus said:"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light." Matthew 11:28-30

Reflection:

There is something about being asked to come and follow me from Jesus. It is to lighten the burden that we carry. When we are asked to follow, in whatever vocation he puts us in. He lightens our loads so we can carry out what he asks of us with him by our side. He doesn't ask more than we can handle.

There are some who shoulder more that we could ever do ourselves, but they also are given the strength to carry the load. When we think about what we suffer, and what seems when more is added. Think about a pile of wood we carry, sometimes we can only handle a small bundle, other times we add more. Or to put it in another way, we ask for more to carry, because we know we can handle it. No matter what we do in our life, remember the many times we did our work and asked to do more, or took more to carry because we knew we could do it.

Do you also remember the days when you could not carry much at all? Everything seemed to be a struggle, but look where you are now. Think back on those times when you had the strength to carry extra and then think on the times when you couldn't. When did you seek God in those times.

At that time Jesus exclaimed: "I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him." Matthew 11:25-27

Reflection:

What is the first thing we read in this Gospel today? Jesus' exclamation. He first of all gives praise to His Father. He tells us that the Father has hidden these things from the wise and the learned, and revealed them to the childlike. Why is that! Is it because the understanding of the wise and learned cannot comprehend the simple. Just as the simple cannot comprehend the words of the wise and learned. It's beyond either of them. Yet God is revealed to those who are childlike.

But what is it to be childlike? It is not acting like a child, immature in our actions. But if we can recall when we were children, what was it that struck you the most in your memory of being a child. It was not just the trust, it was the simplicity that a child lives. Their minds are not filled with clutter, as we the adults have filled ours. A child questions, a child trusts blindingly, a child does not worry.

Then we read of no one knowing the Father except the Son, and no one knows the Son except the Father, unless Jesus wishes to reveal the Father to anyone whom he chooses. We would all love to be the one whom Jesus chooses to reveal the Father to. Or the one whom the Father reveals Jesus to us. When we look at each other, and see the many different faces we encounter, we find it hard to understand that we are made in God's image. Yet we are. Jesus has gone to great lengths to teach us this. When we encounter a kind person, you see Jesus. How they imitate our Lord for us to see. I could go on with more, but I will give this one thought, when you see eyes full of love for all, then God has shown you his love through them.

I praise you Oh God, for you are Lord of heaven and earth.