«
»

Homily – July 22, 2018

I’d like to start with a quote from Henri Nouwen’s book ‘An Invitation to the Spiritual Life’.

One of the most obvious characteristics of our daily lives is that we are busy. We experience our days as filled with things to do, people to meet, projects to finish, letters to write, calls to make, and appointments to keep. Our lives often seem like over-packed suitcases bursting at the seams. It fact, we are almost always aware of being behind schedule. There is a nagging sense that there are unfinished tasks, unfulfilled promises, and unrealized proposals. There is always something else that we should have remembered, done, or said. There are always people we did not speak to, write to, or visit. Thus, although we are very busy, we also have a lingering feeling of never really fulfilling our obligation. We are always hurrying.

You’ve probably heard or said youself.’there aren’t enough hours in the day.’

In today’s short gospel we hear of Jesus welcoming the home coming apostles. Jesus had sent them out two by two to the surrounding towns to call people to repent, change the ways they were living their live and be more faithful to the teaching of the prophets and the laws of God.

The apostles couldn’t wait to tell Jesus their success stories and how they cured sick men and women and drove out demons. They were on a high and Jesus knew they could use some rest, just as he could use a break, he had no leisure even to eat.

Jesus tried to take them away to a deserted, a private place just to unwind, but didn’t work. People figured out where they were going and beat them to it. Weary as they all were Jesus called off their ‘time out’ and began to teach them many things.

We all have to take a ‘time out’; we all have to let the world spin without us. I had a man tell me one time he was so busy he wished there were two him. I heard about a month later that he was let go. I guess the company he worked for couldn’t handle one of him.

It is good to remember that God is running the world, with or without our help. We have an obligation to take care of our health and look out for the wellbeing of one another.

If your life seems like and over-packed suitcase, it you feel you are always behind schedule, if you feel guilty about unfulfilled promises, unfinished tasks, unrealized proposals, if you are always in a hurry, you need to get away to a deserted place, a quiet place, a soothing place, you need a rest even if it’s only for a half and hour.

God is always present to us, we are not and indeed cannot be, always present to God because we have so many things to do, so many things to worry about. But at any time of the day or night we can accept Christ’s invitation, ‘come to me all you who are weary and heavy burden and I will give you rest.’

We just have to take a breath and stop and be mindful of God and give thanks for the gift of life, the gift of sight, the gift of mobility, the gift of whatever health we still enjoy. Place your worries and burdens in God’s hands trust that he knows our needs even before we ask. Take advantage of this beautiful summer with which we are blessed. Spent time with your family, your friends, with God.

Enjoy the day.

This Homily entry was posted on Sunday, July 22nd, 2018.