July 21, 2024; 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)

Readings: Jer. 23:1-6; Eph. 2:13-18; Mk 6:30-34 

Christ on Vacation?

In today’s gospel, the apostles returned from their mission last week. They are all excited and want to tell Jesus about their accomplishments. But Christ was more interested in their welfare and told them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” The apostles were happy to have Jesus all to themselves. I can imagine their sadness and disappointment when they got to their planned vacation destination and saw so many uninvited guests. Once again, they discovered that the disciple must take care of his flock before his own.

 

We see Jesus as a restless prophet who always put the needs, comfort, and well-being of others over and above his own. He is like a mother who thinks of herself last but her children first. Christ quickly took charge of the situation and began to teach the people because they were like sheep without a shepherd. He was anointed and sent “To bring glad tidings to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.” (Lk. 4:18-19). Our mission is to be available to others in our family, church, city, and workplace. In so doing, however, we must not forget self-care and rest. Christ went on a vacation with his apostles in today’s gospel.

 

The 36th chapter of my book ‘Life’s Lessons’ discussed at length ‘Burnout.’ It can be defined as “A state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress.” It occurs when we feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands. It can cause depression as a direct result of our involvement or overinvolvement with caregiving. It is an experience marked by the progressive loss of idealism, energy, and purpose. It is an ongoing process of energy depletion, increased fatigue, and a general debilitation of one’s functioning. Burnout is commonly felt among doctors, social workers, nurses, counselors, therapists, priests, and teachers. Caregivers cannot afford not to take care of themselves. Henri Nouwen called them wounded healers who must heal their wounds first if they are to heal the wounds of others. Hence, Christ called his apostles to come to a lonely place and rest for a while. He tried to prevent them from being burned out.

 

How do you know that you are burned-out? Let’s go through some checklists together. Have you been working hard at a job you hate? Have you been at the same job for too long and seem to have no more challenges? Do you feel unfulfilled? Have you encountered much trouble and stress concentrating on executing a task or writing a simple report? Are you often bored and want to be left alone? Do you need more motivation? Are you constantly complaining, whining, and nagging about anything and everything and about anybody and everybody? Are you short-tempered, tired, and always having a headache? Have you lost interest in your spouse, children, and social life in general? If you answer yes to these questions, you may exhibit burnout signs and symptoms. Being aware of these signs is the first step in preventing burnout.

 

Once you have these symptoms, you will become irritated and irritable and begin to behave like the world is on your shoulder. This is when you strike at anyone who may dare to cross your path. This is because you feel overworked, unappreciated, isolated, or lack focus and objective. You may lack support from coworkers to the point that you feel all alone. You think this way because you need to remember self-care, like your annual physical, or you need to eat a balanced diet. You may not be sleeping well or exercising regularly, or you must remember to pray, think, and reflect. Maybe you have not taken a day off or gone on a vacation for a long while, or you may have stopped doing the things that give you joy. Maybe you are too busy worrying about life till life has passed you by. Or you are busy pleasing everyone to the point of displeasing yourself. The solution is to come away and rest for a while.

 

Today, we must follow the advice Christ gave to his apostles. Take time out and rest for a while! Going on a retreat will give you time to pray and meditate. Take a walk and admire your environment. Enjoy the songs of nature as you listen to the birds chirping away on the tree. Read a good book every now and then. Do things that will relax your mind. Don’t forget to laugh; it is a powerful remedy and a good medicine for the soul. Always eat properly, rest well, and exercise often. Manage your time well, and don’t be overburdened by trivial things. Avoid hateful and annoying people, they are vexation to the soul. Put a vacation into your schedule and remember to leave your job behind when you pack your bag. Your job and heavy schedule will certainly wait for you when you return; they don’t need to accompany you. Enjoy the company of good friends. Love your family and spend time with your children; appreciate your spouse if you have one; if you don’t fall in love with yourself, no one will fall in love with you. Be at peace with your brothers and sisters and see your coworkers, not as enemies, but as colleagues. Seek spiritual guidance and perspective in your life. I believe that was what Christ wanted for his apostles and that certainly is my wish for you this summer. Be good and let goodness be! Stay blessed.

Fr. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP.