This weekend’s Gospel brings to a close a 3-part story that we have been listening to these past weeks focused on discipleship, evangelization...and rest. But when Jesus takes his disciples off to a deserted place, he finds that many of the followers have taken a short cut on land and have arrived at his destination before him. So, what to do? How to respond? And what does this Gospel show us about the importance of downtime? Maybe some wisdom from Ron Rolheiser, John of the Cross and my dad may bring some light to all of this! Check it out…

1. 19 July 2021 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle B Princeton, NJ
Deacon Jim Knipper 1
So, we gather this morning, halfway through the summer – a time when we look to take some
vacation and gain rest. And this morning’s Gospel from Mark brings to a close a 3-part story that
we have been listening to these past weeks – focused on discipleship and evangelization...and
rest. Two weeks ago, we heard of Jesus returning back home to Nazareth to teach in the
synagogue on the sabbath only to be rejected by family and friends. Last week Christ sent out
his 12 disciples with instructions to take nothing but a walking stick and sandals and to go out
and spread the Good News by having an encounter with others and to cure the sick. He warns
them that if people reject them, like he was rejected at home, just shake the dust from their feet
and leave where you are and move on. For it is not necessary to get the approval of people who
do not value love, mercy and forgiveness.
And so, it is interesting to note that the conclusion of this 3 weeklong story has the disciples
returning back to Christ to tell him of all that they have done connecting with others by healing
the sick and casting out evil. And we can likely assume that some people turned away while
many others frequently came up to them to be touched and healed. So, as they return to Christ,
what do you think they are recounting? What was that like for the twelve? In our world, where
we can often run so hard and so fast – do we find ourselves like the disciples: energized, weary,
humble, or just overwhelmed? What does it feel like to help heal others through encounters?
What does it feel like to be rejected?
So, looking at Jesus’ actions – it would seem that the first message we are given this morning is
the need to always find time to gain the rest that we need. When I was a kid, I remember when
my Dad came home from work. In was the era when there were no cell phones, texting,
emailing and social networks. Home was not a place to stop, gather data, connect into a
network and virtually go back to work or to any other place in the world. Rather we had our
family routines during the week, which included dinner together each night. On Saturday we had
all the sports events and Sunday was reserved for the time when the family went to Church and
then went home or to visit other family and friends in order to relax and connect.
Today, statistics tell us that our society spends less and less down time…and it is a lifestyle that
we are passing onto our children. For we are teaching them that always being active, on the go,
involved in every activity possible and having a packed calendar is the epitome of success. It
was Fr. Ronald Rolheiser in a recent lecture who pointed out that as goes the degradation of the
family unit and community, it seems, so too goes the lack of church community manifested in
the continual decline in church attendance.
We tend to focus our children on taking all AP courses and building the best resumes possible.
But in the end, all too often, they, and we, lack the spiritual resources to endure the trials and
tribulations that life throws out. Therefore, we next to find down time, noncreative time, Sabbath
time. For, we too, can easily forget – that without rest how can we be present to others – how
can we be present to ourselves and how can we present to God’s presence? So, it makes
sense that Christ pulled his disciples back off their first solo road trip in order to connect with
them and to provide a reality check on getting needed rest.

2. 19 July 2021 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle B Princeton, NJ
Deacon Jim Knipper 2
And that brings us to the second half of the gospel and the second core message. When Jesus
takes his disciples off to a deserted place, he finds that many of the followers have taken a short
cut on land and have arrived at his destination before him. So, what to do...and what lesson
can be found in the response of the disciples versus that of Christ. Here they are, looking to get
away from it all only to find that the crowd – the lost sheep – have taken a short cut so to follow
them.
You need to read the next few lines that appear in Mark after today’s Gospel selection to hear
the disciples tell Jesus, “send these people away – for they have no food and it is getting late
and you can’t expect us to go out and feed all of them? But the response we get from Jesus is
that his heart was moved, and he had pity on them and he began to teach them many things –
for unlike his family at home – these people were hungry to be fed by the words of Christ.
So, maybe now it is a bit clearer to see why Jesus brought his disciples back off the road and
took them to what they thought would be a deserted place. First it was a reminder to them and
to us that we need to make time to get in our own boat (whatever that may look like for you) and
take a break from it all – the need for rest – or what we call vacation. The Latin derivation of
“vacation” means to be free from ties and to be empty! But it is not only just physical rest – but
also spiritual reconnection. It is the need for all of us to get out of our heads – away from
distractions…and in the words of St. John of the Cross – to create vacuums – empty spaces
that God can enter and God can fill.
Secondly, we are reminded that we are called to be grounded and connected to God. And it is
through this connection that God shows us how the power to heal is not only available to the
Son of God – but to all of us – to all the sons and daughters of God. He shows us that we are
called to not only to heal those that we reach out to…those that we choose…but to include
those that take the short cut and thus seek us out where our response needs to be one of
acceptance, love and compassion. As Jeremiah tells us in the first reading – “we are to be
appointed shepherds who lead the flock so that the followers no longer fear and tremble and
that no one is to be excluded.”
So, as we enter the second half of summer may we set an example for our children and make
the time to lose the distractions, create vacuums – to empty ourselves so that God can fill that
space…
May we remember that in our baptism we too have been called by Christ to be “missionary
disciples” to all….
And may we find some time for physical rest and spiritual renewal so that we are in a position to
hear the voice of God and to help mend those that we reach out to as well as those who come
to us with the healing graces of our good and gracious God.