Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (To the Greater Glory of God)

For: Sunday, July 19, 2009

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

From: Mark 6:30-34

The Apostles Return
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[30] The Apostles returned to Jesus, and told Him all that they had done and
taught.  [31] And He said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a lonely place,
and rest a while."  For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure
even to eat.  [32] And they went away in the boat to a lonely place by them-
selves.

First Miracles of the Loaves
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[33] Now many saw them going, and knew them, and they ran there on foot
from the towns, and got there ahead of them.  [34] As He landed He saw a great
throng, and He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without
a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things.

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Commentary:

30-31. We can see here the intensity of Jesus' public ministry.  Such was His
dedication to souls that St. Mark twice mentions that the disciples did not even
have time to eat (cf. Mark 3:20).  A Christian should be ready to sacrifice his
time and even his rest in the service of the Gospel.  This attitude of availability
will lead us to change our plans whenever the good of souls so requires.

But Jesus also teaches us here to have common sense and not to go to such
extremes that we physically cannot cope: "The Lord makes His disciples rest,
to show those in charge that people who work or preach cannot do so without
breaks" (St. Bede, "In Marci Evangelium Expositio, in loc.").  "He who pledges
himself to work for Christ should never have a free moment, because to rest is
not to do nothing: it is to relax in activities which demand less effort" (St. J.
Escriva, "The Way", 357).

34. Our Lord had planned a period of rest, for Himself and His disciples, from the
pressures of the apostolate (Mark 6:31-32).  And He has to change His plans be-
cause so many people come, eager to hear Him speak.  Not only is He not an-
noyed with them: He feels compassion on seeing their spiritual need. "My peo-
ple are destroyed for lack of knowledge" (Hosea 4:6).  They need instruction and
our Lord wants to meet this need by preaching to them.  "Jesus is moved by
hunger and sorrow, but what moves Him most is ignorance" (St. J. Escriva,
"Christ Is Passing By", 109).

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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries".  Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.  We encourage readers to purchase
The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.

"Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ."  --  St Jerome

"The Father uttered one Word; that Word is His Son, and He utters Him forever
in everlasting silence: and in silence the soul has to hear it.
   --  St John of the Cross