He Began to Teach Them

Like several other places in the New Testament, the Gospel at Mass today leads us to think of Jesus as a "shepherd." The passage also speaks to the importance of going away, sometimes, to "a deserted place and rest a while."

From Mark Chapter 6:

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 he 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.

Flashbacks: Previous "shepherd" passages on Good Shepherd Sundays in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Deacon Greg has posted his homily for this Sunday. Good bit:

One of the lessons of this Sunday’s gospel is that after the apostles have done their amazing work – we heard last week about the miracles they performed – they returned to Christ, who reminded them that the job of being a faithful Christian isn’t all work. It’s rest. It’s prayer. It is seeking out a deserted place to find peace.

In the chaos of daily life, each of us needs to return to Christ, and to find a deserted place to rest, a sea of tranquility for prayer.