Exhausted—Just as Jesus Was

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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.

Living the Word logo

Copyright © 2021, 2020, 2019, 2012, 2011, 2010 World Library Publications, a div. of GIA Publications, Inc. www.giamusic.com
All rights reserved. Used by permission.