Dear parishioners, visitors & friends,

 

The gospel of this weekend follows from the gospel of last weekend. The Twelve Apostles, who were sent by Jesus Christ to preach the message of repentance, heal the sick, and drive out demons have returned back to Christ after what seemed like a successful mission. The mission wasn’t about anyone of them, but about Jesus Christ. This is why the Twelve returned to Christ who sent them on mission. But, either there is no rest for the wicked or the work of God is never done. No sooner had the Apostles rejoined Christ than the crowd flocked around them. The crowds were so insistent that the Apostles had no time even to eat. Christ would have been blown away by the demands of the crowds on the Apostles. Hence, Christ’s offer for the Apostles to come with Him to a lonely place on the other side of the lake where they could have some peace and rest. By asking the Apostles to come with Him to a lonely place where they could be alone and rest, Christ sets the rhythm not just of the Christian life but also of life in general. Life is about striking a balance between work and rest, between going from the presence of God to the presence of people and going from the presence of people to the presence of God. Jesus first summoned the Apostles to Himself before He sent them out in pairs (Mark 6:7). The Apostles went from the presence of Christ to the presence of the people. After what seemed like an accomplished mission, the Apostles returned back to Christ, before the crowd started flocking around them. As Christians, when we don’t set the pattern or rhythm of life, we fall victims to two potential dangers – the danger of constant activity or the danger of too much withdrawal. Those who are victims of constant activity go from morning to dusk without any time in between to stop and reflect and give thanks. Part of the reason people sometimes suffer burn out in work or vocation could be attributed to the inability to give God some time to recharge us and refill the human body, soul and spirit like we recharge our mobile phones and refill our cars at the service stations. I often just wonder how anyone can carry life’s daily burdens without daily contact with the God of life? The other danger we can suffer is the danger of too much withdrawal. As your pastor and priest, I will support and encourage devotions in our Parish. We grow in grace and holiness when we engage sincerely in devotions. However, I will not support or encourage any devotion that does not complement productive work and meaningful engagement with life. No one should seek the fellowship of God because he or she wants to avoid contact with human beings. While many people in Africa and other developing nations with entrenched poverty fall victims to ‘too much withdrawal,’ the developed nations fall into the danger of constant activity. As a people, how and when are we able to find the right balance in life? The late Catalan Trappist Monk, Thomas Merton once said that: “happiness is not a matter of intensity, but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony.” As we engage in our daily tasks, I hope and pray that we can always find a balance between our work and rest with the God before whom we shall all one day give account of how we used and managed the ‘Time, Talents and Treasure’ given to us by God in this passing life.  

God bless you all.

Fr. John Ikechukwu Echewodo

Parish Priest