Message of Abbot Paul - Saturday 5th February
Message from Fr Paul for Saturday, 5th February 2022
A kind reader reminded me yesterday to put my glasses on, as I no longer seemed to notice or report on the first flowers of Spring appearing all around me. I replied that Toby was really my eyes and invariably guided me to these. At the moment, as his walks are so short, we hardly go anywhere near the joyful signs of new life that I would normally report on in my daily message. Forgive me. It’s time to get him to walk a little further. He seems to have become so accustomed to our present routine, that it’s not easy to get him to go any further. Toby, part of your physiotherapy will be to sniff out our beautiful Spring flowers.
---
Our Gospel passage today takes up the story of the apostles’ mission as they return to Jesus after their adventures and tell Jesus all about it. We are in Mark, (Mk 6: 30-34), following a hiatus in which the account of the death of John the Baptist was related. “Jesus said to them, ‘You must come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while’; for there were so many coming and going that the apostles had no time even to eat. So they went off in a boat to a lonely place where they could be by themselves. But people saw them going, and many could guess where; and from every town they all hurried to the place on foot and reached it before them. So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he set himself to teach them at some length.” The first thing Jesus does is to suggest they leave Capernaum where there are so many people coming to see them for help and healing that there’s not even time to sit down for a meal. They need to rest, take stock of their experiences and pray. They leave by boat, but no sooner do they arrive at their destination than the crowds gather round them and their plans of rest come to nothing. In fact, the crowds got there first! But Jesus is a true shepherd with a loving and merciful heart. He has compassion on the crowds, who appear to him as “sheep without a shepherd,” and, without resting, he teaches them at some length. Although we are not told, we can presume that the apostles remained with him until they could finally take that moment of rest they were looking forward to.
---
Jesus teaches us, as he teaches his apostles, that the needs of others come before our own. While this is particularly true for a priest or someone in the caring professions, any parent would tell us the same about their children and grandchildren or teacher about their pupils. Lord, teach us to put others first as you did, especially in our mission to proclaim the Gospel and bring healing to those who are suffering. Amen.
