Finding rest in the Lord

This Sunday's Gospel passage (Mark 6:30-34) continues the story of last week. Now the disciples come back from their active preaching mission, Jesus sees they need time away from the work and thus he wants to go away with his disciples to find a place to be alone in solitude. However, when Jesus and His disciples arrived at their destination, there are already crowds waiting for Him, and Jesus began to teach them.

This passage shows that Jesus tells us too that there is a need for a balance in our lives. Jesus and his disciples are very busy with preaching the Gospel, healing the sick and casting out demons. We read they don't even have time to eat! But now it becomes clear that it is not only about our activities and misistries. jesus is teaching all his disciples that there must be time away for prayer and relaxation. We can find examples in the Gospels of Jesus going to a lonely place to be alone so that he could pray,there are many such passages particularly in the Gospel of St. Luke in which  Jesus himself  gets up early to withdraw to pray, to spend time with His Father.

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Bring the joy of knowing Christ to others!

The Gospel this Sunday comes from Mark 6:7-13. In the Gospel Jesus sends out the twelve apostles to preach the Good News to the people and "gave them authority over the unclean spirits" (Mar 6:7 RSV) and "they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many that were sick and healed them" (Mar 6:13 RSV). But one of the striking things is the fact that Jesus charged them "to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread;. no bag, no money in their belts" (Mk 6:8 RSV). There is an urgency in Jesus' charge to go out and preach the Gospel. The are to be no preparations for the journey but the bare minimum; the only thing to bring is the pilgrims staff.

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Spending some time in prayer

It is now already two days ago, but Thursday I went to the are of the city where the Monstray of the Flagellation is and the Sister of Sion. It was very quite, and I enjoyed spending a few hours in the various churches.

Church of the Flagellation

Chapel of the Condemnation

It is nice to be able to spend some time in these places, places whereabout Jesus spend his final hours before his full giving sacrifice on the cross. While the past months have been busy, it is only when you have time to take a step back how much I realize I have missed some more quality time in prayer. It is great that when not being busy in the École Biblique it is possible just to walk into the Old City, and find the Sepulcher there within a 10 minute walk!

Stones which were part of the plaza where Jesus was presented to the crowd

Church of the Sister of Sion, with part of the 'Ecce Homo Arch'

Friday I participated in the way of the Cross, from near the Monastery of the Flagellation to the Holy Sepulcher. This morning I climbed the Mount of Olives before sunrise, but that can be for another day!

Jerusalem

It has been very silent on my blog for a while once more... In the last few months, with essays, exams and the International Eucharistic Congress not much time remained for some reflection for my blog. But maybe I will try again to write some more. Yesterday I arrived in Jerusalem, and will be here for the next six weeks. I am still settling in and we will see what happens!

The Damascus Gate

The Entrance to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher