Special errands

 

The Gospel I read and reflected on today reminded me of those days when my duties at work made me so mentally overwhelmed and physically drained that I was ready to lash out at anyone or anything that added to my stress unless I could get away to “a deserted place” to pray and/or recharge my batteries.

Jesus began His public ministry in Nazareth, but the people of His hometown rejected Him from their Synagogue.  So He immediately traveled some 20 miles on foot to Capernaum where He would spend much of His time.  Jesus taught in their Synagogue, cast out a demon, and then went to the home of Simon (later, Peter) to perform His first recorded physical healing in Luke’s Gospel.  He cured Simon’s mother-in-law, who suffered from a severe fever.  Then, later that evening, many people brought to Jesus the sick and possessed, and Jesus “Laid his hands on each of them and cured them.”  He certainly got their attention.  And the next morning, as Jesus was preparing to leave Capernaum after this first visit during His public ministry, the people tried to convince Jesus to stay.  However, Jesus said to them, “To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent.” (Luke 4:38-44)

Like so many of us, Jesus was (is) in constant demand from people who desperately need His help or just want to talk with Him.  They wouldn’t give Him a minute’s rest.  By the end of the day, He was tired and harassed.  After all, He’s human as well as divine.

Unlike many of us who keep running on empty, Jesus took care of Himself.  He often withdrew to a lonely place to pray and refresh His spirit.  He sends a strong message that even the busiest people must find time for solitude.

Following this powerful example can be challenging.  Very few of us can take off for a weekend retreat.  Some days, it’s tough to find 10 minutes of quiet.  In these circumstances, I recommend a harmless ruse or two.

For example, my boss (and confidant) and I would periodically get in his car, telling our co-workers and subordinates that we were going to lunch or a meeting with a prospective new dealer, and that we’d be back in an hour or two.  Most of the time, that’s exactly what we did; but many times we wouldn’t go back to the office at all.  Instead, we’d silence our cellphones and drive around, just trying to forget about work and its aggravations.  We would start talking about our families, our hopes, our dreams for the future and occasionally, the conversations would be so fun or fulfilling that we’d find ourselves in an entirely different city from where we started without realizing it!  Then the next day we’d have to come up with some creatively compelling excuses as to why we hadn’t returned in “an hour or two”, and why we couldn’t be reached.

At other times, I would leave work early saying that I had “some paperwork to complete at home”; instead, I would drive to a local church to just sit and meditate in silence for a while, sometimes an hour or two—or three.  Sometimes, that would lead to my going to confession or attending a daily Mass.  That was a sure-fire way to recharge my spirit!

If you don’t have a church handy, try taking a walk or sitting in a library; any place that’s quiet where people won’t find you or bother you.  Tell people you have to do an unspecified errand.  And you do.  Your errand is to recapture your relationship with God.

Jesus wants us to “meet” with God.  After all, He took time for it!