Tag: Mk 6:30-34

Feb 6 (Mk 6:30-34)

Fr Jijo Manjackal MSFS1 Comment

One of the statistics that can cause great alarms and pop our eyes, are those on hunger.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that nearly 870 million people of the 7.1 billion people in the world, were suffering from chronic undernourishment in 2010-2012.

That is nearly one in every eight persons in the world!

This hunger is of course, about physical hunger.

But something, which does not, as such come under the framework of statistics, are people who are hungry in other areas of life…
> Hungry for love…
>> Hungry of being wanted…
>>> Hungry on emotional counts…
>>>> Hungry of the spiritual order…
     
These aspects of hunger may never have a scientific statistic
>> These dimensions of hunger may never flowcharts and pie diagrams to measure them

But these areas of hunger are a great reality and challenge, especially in our world today!

The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus who addresses not just “statistical” hunger but also such hunger of human needs which “may never get numerically converted”.

“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” (Mk 6:34)

The Apostles, who were sent on the mission (Mk 6: 7-13) had returned back and reported all that they had done (Mk 6:30)

>> They had driven out many demons…
>> They had anointed many with oil who were sick and cured them… (Mk 6:13)

They would have rejoiced greatly, but they were also physically tired.
>> They would have been satisfied with their works, but they did not have even the time to eat (Mk 6:31)

The Apostles had done many works, but Jesus sensed that they were tired
>> The Apostles were happy with their ministry, but Jesus sensed that they were hungry.

And so the Good Shepherd invites them to come away to a deserted place and rest (Mk 6:31)

Like these Apostles, many times, this can be our case too…
>> We may be doing a lot of things…
… but are we still feeling spiritually tired?

>> We may be happy with what we are doing…
… but are we still hungry deep within?

The Good Shepherd invites us to take some rest in Him
>> The Good Shepherd invites us to relax in His Holy Heart

As in the case of the Apostles, so is the case of the people…

The people had seen many miracles, but Jesus sensed that they were still not truly filled
>> The people had witnessed many wonders, but Jesus sensed that they were still lost and unguided.

And so the Good Shepherd, with a moved Heart, feels compassion on them (Mk 6:34)

Like these people, many times this can be our case too…
>> We may have witnessed God’s wonders…
… but are we still spiritually found wanting?

>> We may be glad to doing the minimum in our spiritual life…
… but are we still missing something?

The Good Shepherd encourages us with His Divine Word
>> The Good Shepherd encourages us by His Compassionate Love

There is a indeed a great hunger in the world.

Blessed Mother Teresa said:
“Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty, than the person who has nothing to eat”

We may be people who hunger for love and acceptance…
>> Let us go to Jesus, the Supreme Lover of our lives

We may be people dejected and depressed in life…
>> Let us go to Jesus, the Ultimate Happiness of our lives

We may be people feeling unlucky and ill-fated in life…
>> Let us go to Jesus, the Absolute Destiny of our lives

In turn, we also meet people who go through such “hunger”…
…for love, for acceptance, for encouragement, for hope, for basics of life etc…

>> Do I recognise, in the first place, such requirements of needy people?
>> Does my heart move in loving compassion for them?

Can I be a Good Shepherd, like Jesus, to them?

Let us seek the intercession of St Gonsalo Garcia, the Saint from India (Vasai)  whose feast we celebrate today.

image
St Gonsalo Garcia

He gave up his life as a martyr in Japan, in love of the One who had become the Treasure and the Goal of His life.

>> He offered his life for Jesus who had sanctified him
>> He offered his life for Jesus had purified him
>> He offered his life for Jesus who had freed him from all guilt of sin

May the prayer in Heb 13:20-21 be our personal prayer:
“May the God of peace, who brought up from the dead, the great Shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, Jesus our Lord, furnish you with all that is good, that you may do His Will.

May He carry out, in you, what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory, forever, Amen!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

19 Jul (Based on Mk 6:30-34)

Fr Jijo Manjackal MSFSLeave a comment

One of the very common stories, known to many of us, goes thus…

There was a woodcutter who asked a timber merchant for a job.
Seeing the strong person, the timber merchant, was obviously very obliging.

The promised pay was good… and so were the working conditions.
Therefore, the woodcutter was determined to do his best.

The woodcutter was given the axe and was shown the place of work.

The first day at work, the woodcutter cut down eighteen trees.

“Great work!” said the merchant, ” You are doing very well!”

The encouraging words of his master, motivated the woodcutter to try harder, the next day.

But he could cut only fifteen.

The third day, the number came down to ten.

As days progressed, he could cut fewer and fewer trees.

“I must be surely losing my strength! Something is wrong with me!” the woodcutter thought to himself.

He went to his merchant and apologized, saying that he could not understand why he was not able to progress well in his work.

“When was the last time you sharpened your axe?” enquired the merchant.

“Sharpened??
What? I have had no time to sharpen my axe. I have been busy all through, cutting the trees! said the woodcutter.

The “busy”ness of the woodcutter badly affected his “business” of cutting trees!
The reason was simple: no time was given to sharpen the axe!

Lesser the sharpening of the axe, lesser was the productivity of work!

Is our life also so “busy” that we fail to “sharpen the axe”?

Our Blessed Lord, through today’s Gospel, invites us to “rest awhile”, in order to get “our axe sharpened” and thus to be more effective in our life as a missionary for the Kingdom of God.

The context of the Gospel is:
The Twelve Apostles had been sent on a mission to the villages ( Mk 6: 7-13)

After they returned back (Mk 6: 30-33) and reported all what they had done, Jesus makes an invitation, “Come away by yourselves to a lonely place, and rest a while” (Mk 6: 31)

The evangelist Mark also highlights another point: “For many (people) were coming and going in great numbers and they had no opportunity, even to eat.

Jesus, the Master Missionary knew very well, that “every work had to also be equally supplemented with a period or rest and refreshment”

Jesus’ own life was marked by this great and strict discipline…
… Immense activity and ministry through the day
… Intense rest and prayer with the Father at night

And so He also tells His disciples of the need to “come away, by themselves to a lonely place, and rest a while”

How often is our life submerged in excess work and intense activities…

Pope Francis in one of his popular and noted exhortations, especially to the leaders of the Church had mentioned “Excessive Activity” as one of the diseases that was crippling our life.

Our Christian lives seriously need a great examination….
Am I submerging myself in an excess of work and finding “no time” for other important dimensions of life?

Do I engage so much in work, that I do not get time to spend sometime atleast, daily, with the Lord…
He is the One who blesses us with graces to do work
He is the One who supplies strength and good health

Do we, however, make time for Him, everyday, without fail…
… through personal prayer, which is strictly uncompromised for any other activity
… through reading His Word in the Holy Bible and taking sometime to grow in His Love
… through making honest efforts to grow in Christian Virtues

Do I submerge myself in so many activities that I fail to give time for others…
My family, my community, my friends, those in need … Do all these find place in the “busy” schedule of life?

Do I also give time for myself…
… giving rest for my body
… enriching my skills, updating my knowledge, growing in values
… rooting out evils from life, seeking to plug in the holes that “drain out my energy”…

The Lord today makes this open invitation to all of us.. “to rest in Him”

This invitation finds concrete expression in Jesus, present in the Holy Eucharist, continually inviting us ” to waste time with Him”

Shall we not positively respond to this “loving longing” and this “crazy craving” of our Blessed Lord to spend more time with us…

It is His wish that He wants us to be with Him
It is His longing to spend a few minutes with Him

May we respond to this call positively and “sharpen the axes” of our life, so that we can live a much more effective and credible life as a Christian!

God Bless! Live Jesus!