Last Sunday Jesus sent out the apostles on an apostolic mission to preach the gospel and to call people to repentance.  Today they return to him after a successful mission of ministering to the needs of the people by healing, anointing and freeing people from their infirmities, weaknesses and burdens of sin.  After a job well done, Jesus invites his apostles to spend a little vacation time with him.  He offers them some time alone with him where they can withdraw from the great crowds of people with all of their demands and rest awhile in his presence.  Their attempt to withdraw from the demands of ministry is not entirely successful as the people find them and appeal to the compassion of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who sees them as “sheep without a shepherd” and he spends some time teaching them.

     Everyone needs times of rest.  Rest allows us to rediscover our humanity.  Vacation time is time to renew our interior harmony.  It is a time to rediscover relationships with family and friends and to remember the importance or our communal life.  Vacation time is often family time in which we get together with family members and have time to talk, to reflect upon our lives and to share our hopes for the future.  We renew our relationships with one another reestablish our communication.  We are not simply machines of production, driven by demands and the needs of others.  We are persons in relationship, like the Holy Trinity, who need time to share love, time and intimacy with others.  We are not fed only by material things in this world but we have spiritual needs that need to be addressed and we must also nurture our spiritual lives and our need for human companionship and communion.

     Vacation time is not meant to be a flight from reality or a running away from other people in our lives.  We are not escaping from our daily duties or putting aside our vocation to care for others.  Vacation is not a retreat into self-indulgence or selfish behaviors. Jesus takes time during his vacation with the apostles to minister to the needs of those he meets in this deserted place to which he has retreated.  Jesus is always the Good Shepherd who has compassion for others.  

     In the year 2000, Pope John Paul II reflected upon this gospel passage, “In the Gospel for today’s liturgy, Jesus says to the Apostles, who have returned from a mission: “Come away by yourselves to a lonely place, and rest a while” (Mk 6: 31). Jesus and the disciples, tired from their ceaseless work among the people, felt the need every so often for a moment of calm. The Evangelist relates that, in fact, the crowds prevented them from having that desired “retreat” (cf. Mk 6: 33-24). But there is still value in rest and a need to use free time for healthy physical, and especially spiritual, relaxation.  

     In today’s often frenetic and competitive society, in which the logic of production and profit prevail, often at the expense of the individual, it is still necessary for everyone to be able to enjoy adequate periods of rest, in which to regain their energy and at the same time restore the right inner balance. Vacations, holidays, must be wisely used in order to benefit the individual and the family through contact with nature, tranquility, the opportunity to foster greater family harmony, good reading and healthy recreational activities; above all, through the possibility of spending more time in prayer, in contemplation and in listening to God.”

     When I go on vacation, it is not a vacation away from being a priest but a time to renew my priestly vocation among family and friends.  I hope and pray that many of you in our parish have time to spend on vacation this year and that during this vacation you are also able to celebrate the Eucharist and renew your vocation as disciples of Jesus.  It is always good to invite Jesus along on our vacations and to spend time in prayer with our family and friends.  Vacation should be a time of spiritual as well as physical renewal. As we take our vacations, let’s take time to pray for one another and for our community.  I will take you with me on vacation in my heart and will keep you in my prayers.  Please remember me in your prayers.