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.

Reflection

This passage is a beautiful image of the New Kingdom, the Kingdom of God. A kingdom free of fear and shame, and a kingdom that often asks us to stop and to rest, and to know that even though our work is important, Jesus, God incarnate, dwells within us and continues to do the work for us. It's a beautiful image of the compassion of God, both for his ministers and for the people who are longing for his message.

It's a new kingdom, a kingdom of love, a king of peace, free of fear.

Closing Prayer

So let us pray for the same compassion. And the same acceptance of the times that we need to rest. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.