My Mazda had a weird noise and the “check engine” light was on. I went to my trusted mechanic who tried to fix it but couldn’t. I tried another one. Nope. On the third one, the mechanic said, “Bring it to Mazda because only they have the necessary equipment and scanners to diagnose the problem.” So I did. And they were able to fix it immediately. It was even under warranty! How I wish I brought it to them earlier! I could have saved time and money.

When you’re tired and breaking down, where do you go? What do you do to fix yourself? Sadly, many people resort to comforting but harmful solutions: vice, wrong relationships, or unproductive activities that bring temporary relief but destroy us in the long run. They leave us empty and more exhausted.

Maybe it’s time to go back to your Manufacturer. He has all the tools and parts to fully restore you. He knows you because He made you. He knows what’s best for you because He’s the one who prepared His plans for You.

Stop going to the wrong places. Go back to Jesus. 

True rest is in Him. Velden Lim (veldenlim.firedup@gmail.com)

Reflect:

Life’s responsibilities can be tiring, and you can’t just give up. That’s why you need to be intentional with resting. Put it regularly in your calendar.

Lord, when I’m tired and about to give up, may Your love restore and renew me so I can keep going.

St. Lawrence of Brindisi, priest and Doctor of the Church, pray for us.

First Reading | Jeremiah 23:1-6

Leaders have a tremendous responsibility for the lives of others. They must remember this and live up to their duties. It is unlikely that someone would desire to be a leader if they realized the full extent of such a responsibility. Humility is an important characteristic of good leaders. Without humility, it is impossible to be a good leader. Let us pray that our leaders will grow in this virtue every day.

¹ Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture, says the Lord. ² Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, against the shepherds who shepherd my people: You have scattered my sheep and driven them away. You have not cared for them, but I will take care to punish your evil deeds. ³ I myself will gather the remnant of my flock from all the lands to which I have driven them and bring them back to their meadow; there they shall increase and multiply. ⁴ I will appoint shepherds for them who will shepherd them so that they need no longer fear and tremble; and none shall be missing, says the Lord. ⁵ Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David; as king he shall reign and govern wisely, he shall do what is just and right in the land. ⁶ In his days Judah shall be saved, Israel shall dwell in security. This is the name they give him: “The Lord our justice.”

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6

R: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

¹ The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. ² In verdant pastures he gives me repose; beside restful waters he leads me; ³ he refreshes my soul. (R) He guides me in right paths for his name’s sake. ⁴ Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side with your rod and your staff that give me courage. (R) ⁵ You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. (R) ⁶ Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for years to come. (R)

Second Reading | Ephesians 2:13-18

The shedding of blood is essential to the Jewish understanding of forgiveness of sins. Blood carries the life essence of the animal or a person and it is seen as the highest form of offering. But when Jesus also offers His blood on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins, He teaches us that the greatest sacrifice is obedience to the Father’s will. We no longer have to depend on bloody sacrifices in the Temple; now we can offer our own sacrifices of obedience to God’s call for us.

¹³ Brothers and sisters: In Christ Jesus you who once were far off have become near by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴ For he is our peace, he who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh, ¹⁵ abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims, that he might create in himself one new person in place of the two, thus establishing peace, ¹⁶ and might reconcile both with God, in one body, through the cross, putting that enmity to death by it. ¹⁷ He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near, ¹⁸ for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

Gospel | Mark 6:30-34 

It is pitiful to watch a group of people wander aimlessly through life for want of a little direction. This is why personal reflection is so important. Unless we reflect regularly upon the direction of our lives, it is highly likely that we will discover we are totally unsatisfied with where we are. This is a tragedy that can easily be avoided if we place our lives in the hands of God and regularly seek instructions from Him about the direction we should be traveling.

Gospel Acclamation

My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.

³⁰ The apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. ³¹ 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. ³² So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place. ³³ 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. ³⁴ 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.

Read the Bible in one year! Read PSALMS 71 - 75 today.

Rest for a While

In the Gospels, we read how Jesus used images like seeds, wineskins, lamp, salt, dragnet, leaven, etc. when He wanted to teach His disciples. Today, we read one such parable where He likened the disciples to “sheep without a shepherd.”

A typical shepherd is busy at work: he feeds, waters, grooms, shears, delivers, and leads the sheep; protects and looks for lost sheep, whenever needed. It’s a 24/7 kind of job. What Jesus wanted to say is that if we want to become His disciple, we have to work hard like a shepherd.

The disciples worked hard and faithfully in preaching and healing, day and night. Throngs and crowds of people followed them. The disciples were on fire, such that when they returned to Jesus after their apostolate, they were so excited to tell all the stories and all they had done and taught (v. 30).

As they were telling their stories, Jesus seemed anticlimactic. He said, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (v. 31). Jesus, in an unexpected move, directed them to rest. What Jesus was teaching them—and us—is that no matter how intense our work or study is, there has to be some form of rest. And I see three layers of rest here. 

First, rest for a while means total sleep. Research shows that chronic lack of sleep affects our immune function, metabolism, memory, learning, and other vital functions. It is when we are asleep that cells do a lot of repairing.

Second, rest for a while is connected to God’s command to rest on the seventh day, the Sabbath. Resting for a while, therefore, means to set aside the day for worship, for prayer, for spending time with God.

Finally, rest for a while means to go into some form of diversion or recreation. Work will always be there, so we have to know how to pace ourselves.

Do you want to become a disciple? Then work hard like a shepherd but do not forget to take a rest and have time for adequate sleep, prayer, and recreation. Fr. Wen Amit, OCD

Reflection Question:

When was the last time you truly rested?

Lord, help me to manage my life so that I will not neglect times for rest, for prayer, for sleep, for recreation, for You. Amen.

Today, I pray for: _________________________________________