Exhausted—Just as Jesus Was
Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Jeremiah 23:1–6 / Psalm 23:1 / Ephesians 2:13–18 / Mark 6:30–34
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Reflecting on the Word
By Br. John R. Barker, OFM
Exhaustion. Jesus understands it. When he heals, power pours out of him. When he sits down to rest, someone shows up to talk. After he preaches all day, crowds clamor after him until night. At night, he stays up to pray. Jesus knows how draining ministry can be. The exhaustion of helping others is very real.
In the work I do with clergy, I also see exhaustion. One pastor manages eight properties (including two schools) in Manhattan, in addition to meeting the everyday needs of several thousand people. Another pastor walks the streets of his inner-city parish where the blood of shootings is regularly splattered on his church door. A staff chaplain serves four thousand employees on a college campus. Servant leadership is exhausting. Deep fatigue permeates daily life.
For parents of young children, social workers, nurses and doctors, police, ministers and teachers, burnout is an occupational hazard. Researchers have found that burnout can creep up on any of us, no matter the occupation. We work harder but produce less; we become cynical toward the people we used to enjoy helping; we awake with a feeling of dread, already emotionally drained.
In today’s Gospel, the Twelve come back both exhilarated and exhausted. These are their early days, so they are not yet burned out. But Jesus knows that they are tired. He takes them away to a deserted place to recover.
But nobody rests for long. The crowds find them. Jesus’ heart is moved with pity. Can you feel Jesus’ urgency? So many people need help. That urgency keeps us going, too. The twinned graces of duty and compassion propel us to help, even long after we’d like to stop. The mission goes on. But Jesus knows that we also need to be refreshed.
Consider/Discuss
- How refreshing it is when someone offers to help lighten our load! That accompaniment gives courage to life. Love comes from the graces of compassion and duty that show up in tiny ways—a guest helps with the dishes, a grandparent takes the kids for the day, a parishioner brings a meal, a businessman volunteers to do the books. How can the Holy Spirit– inspired impulses of duty and compassion move us to help someone carry his or her load today? How can duty and compassion toward ourselves spur us to ask for help today?
- Jesus knows our weariness. Some surveys suggest that fatigue is a hidden but perhaps deadly epidemic in modern life. One out of five fatal car accidents is attributed to a drowsy driver. Work productivity is impaired by a lack of sleep. We are tired. (You might even be nodding off while you read this!) The graces of duty and compassion keep us going. Yet how can we allow the Holy Spirit to inspire us to take steps toward restorative rest?
Living and Praying with the Word
Lord, you said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest.” Thank you for knowing what I am going through. Thank you for recognizing my need. Thank you for your compassion. This moment as I pray, I am falling asleep. Hold me now, tender Lord. Soothe my soul, blessed Savior. Let me rest in your calm for a moment. Then I’ll get up and get to work. Or maybe not. Good night, sweet Jesus.