Sunday, July 21, 2024 – Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Cycle B Readings: Jeremiah 23:1-6, Psalm 23 “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.”, Ephesians 2:13-18, Mark 6:30-34

                                                        Silence Therapy
 
The Episode narrated by the Gospel describes the vicissitudes of some apostles so pressured by the urgency of the mission that “they did not have time to rest or eat”. Christ, the good shepherd, leads his sheep to restful places. When he sees them worn out by apostolic work, he takes them in the boat to a peaceful and secluded place to rest for awhile.
 
Brothers and sisters,
 
1. One of the greatest victories for the evil one is trapping us in a world of noise and uncertainties that pervade everything. We live in an age of rush, rush, rush. We run around in a mass along the grueling highway of modern life. The noise pollution of cities reaches our ears at the highest decibels. The sickness of activism leads us to individualism, intolerance, anxiety and impatience. Today, no one wants to be alone, yet at times it is necessary to stop, retreat, and be by yourself.
 
2. In medical language, the sickness of time is called “cronopathy”.    Not having a moment’s rest or a minute of silence or meditation has created a truly physical and spiritual pathology. Medicine ascribes this  occupational dizziness and hustle and bustle to a wide range of organic disorders and neuroses; theology sees in it the root of paganism, religious indifference and man-centeredness.
 
Man is looking for happiness in all the wrong places. It can't be found in the world of highways, factories, clubs, stadiums or businesses.            In order to find it we need to look elsewhere and learn to listen to the voice of silence.
 
3. Cervantes once wrote, “He who retreats does not flee.” Solitude with God is a most fruitful experience; it is the solitude of two in company with each other. Silence is necessary for God to speak. We must not fear retreating once in awhile in order to take stock of our spiritual life. Silence is the place where great things are forged.
 
Let us stop and smell the roses. We need that rest which will help free us from tension, wear and tear, and the fatigue accumulated over time. This retreat to restful places will be the best therapy for our insomnia, stress, and heart problems. Rest, solitude and silence will put order to our thoughts, feelings, emotions and even our problems and worries.
 
But more important than all this is the fact that God continues to wait for us in the desert to reveal himself to us and tell us what are mission in life is. Let us go to a deserted place with Jesus to rest, but moreover to be with him, now and always.
 
Source: ePriest.com / Best Practices and Homily Resources for Catholic Priests