“My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.”
Jesus always took time to pray. The bible tells us He
sometimes spent the whole night in prayer in desolate places: on rocky
mountaintops, bleak deserts, or olive groves. Although He was God, He knew the
importance of time spent in communion with God the Father.
Jesus asked His disciples to pray also, to strengthen their
faith for the trials that were to come. And when they were exhausted by their
work spreading the Gospel, He invited them to come away by themselves to a
deserted place where they could rest, pray, and restore their strength. Yet, like
sheep who knew the Good Shepherd had come at last, the crowds discovered where
Jesus was going and hastened to follow Him there, even arriving before He and
the disciples did.
Jesus did not drive them off, because His heart was moved
with pity for the crowd, “for they were like sheep without a shepherd.” He
forfeited His rest, and continued to teach, sustained in strength by a life
lived in perfect communion with God.
Any time you are weary, in need of refreshment, listen for
the voice of Jesus inviting you to, “Come away by yourself to a quiet place and
rest a while.” That quiet place could be on a high mountaintop, a windswept beach, a
desert trail, or as near as the Eucharistic chapel in our parish church.
Seek the Lord, He is your Good Shepherd. Follow Him. He will
lead you to a place of repose, a verdant pasture beside still waters, and lay
out a banquet before you. He will refresh your soul and strengthen you for the
journey.
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