4th Week in Ord. Time, Saturday – 04th February 2023 — Gospel: Mark 6,30-34
Invitation to the Desert
Jesus invited his disciples to a deserted place and rest a while. In the desert, we can have a sense of ourselves again. No noise besides our noise and the wind, no presence besides our presence, no company besides the plants and animals. In the desert, there is no peace if our heart has no peace. There is only fear in the desert if our hearts live in fear. In the desert, we need to free ourselves from the grips of anxiety, fear, and endless movement. The desert is not an isolated place in itself, rather it functions as a way in and out of ourselves. The desert is a place of awareness, where we come to know ourselves and what we do in the world. Pascal wrote, “The sole cause of man’s unhappiness is that he does not know how to stay quietly in his room.” Jesus allowed the crowds to surround him and draw comfort from him; but to refresh his own strength he deserted the crowds and retreated to be alone in communion with his heavenly Father.
