Reflection for February 7 Saturday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time: Mark 6:30-34

Gospel: Mark 6:30-34

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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Reflection:

The story is told about a man who was very busy with his many businesses that he no longer had time for God. Day after day, he poured his energy into his work, his plans, and his worldly pursuits, until God slowly faded into the background of his life. One day, he felt an unusual pain in his body, so he went to a doctor for a medical checkup. After going through a battery of tests, he discovered that he had a severe illness.

In his fear and helplessness, he turned to the Lord and prayed sincerely for healing. In the depths of his prayer, he promised the Lord that if He would heal him, he would devote more time to Him than to his many worldly concerns. By God’s grace, the man was healed, and true to his word, he fulfilled his promise and began to give God the place He deserved in his life.

As we reflect on this story, we are invited to look into our own lives. Are we always busy with our many worldly concerns—business, politics, ambitions, or anything that keeps our focus fixed only on this world?

Oftentimes, many of us become so busy with worldly concerns that we slowly lose time for God. We hardly find time to pray, to read the Bible, or to be with Jesus at Holy Mass. This is not a good sign for our spiritual well-being. What will happen to us if we are always busy with worldly concerns and no longer have time for God? What will happen to our souls if we gain success in the world but slowly lose our closeness to Him?

In the Gospel, after working hard in carrying out their mission, the apostles returned and told Jesus about their accomplishments. Jesus recognized their efforts and lovingly said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a quiet place and rest a while.” Then they went away in a boat to a secluded place by themselves (Mark 6:30–32).

What did they do in that quiet and secluded place? Perhaps they reflected on their mission. Perhaps they reflected on their relationship with their Master and Teacher, Jesus. Perhaps, as close followers of Christ, they had a moment of spiritual recollection—a sacred pause to rest in the presence of God.

Despite the frenetic pace of our smartphone-driven lives, wherein many of us spend more time exploring social media using our smartphones than communicating with God, our need to meditate and reflect on God’s role in our lives has never diminished. In fact, amid the noise, pressure, and busyness of our daily lives, we need even more to be reminded that there is a God who is lovingly waiting to reveal Himself to us, to listen to us, and to embrace us with His mercy and love.

One of the most effective ways of connecting with God is to find our own quiet place where we can speak to Him heart-to-heart in prayer. Even Jesus, in His humanity, always found time to withdraw to a quiet place to rest and to commune with the Father. If the Son of God made time for prayer, how much more do we need it in our lives?

Therefore, we must intentionally find time for God no matter how busy we are. For what good will it do us if we gain all the riches, power, and recognition in this world but have no relationship with God? All things in this world will pass away, but our relationship with God is eternal.

God is longing for us. He is patiently waiting for us to return to Him, to speak with Him, and to walk with Him every day of our lives.

Let us pause and ask ourselves: In the busyness of our lives, are we still making space for God… or are we slowly replacing Him with the things of this world? And if God is lovingly calling us back to Him right now, will we answer His call?— Marino J. Dasmarinas