18TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME A
MOVING ON
MT 14: 13-21
MESSAGE
The Gospel today speaks of the importance of self-care. The Lord Jesus was affected by the death of his cousin and precursor, John the Baptist. He grieved and mourned. And he withdrew from the crowd to be alone.
However, for Jesus, self-care did not mean falling into self-absorption. Part of healing from grief is moving on. One cannot focus on pain for so long; one cannot nurse one’s wounds forever. That is why, it was important for the Lord, not to focus so much inward but to open himself to the call of God, to the will of the Father.
So when the Lord saw the crowd that followed him, the crowd that so eagerly sought him, he saw an opportunity to serve and to share himself. The pain in his heart at the loss of a great friend turned into more compassion and concern for the people he was sent to on mission. The Lord not only broke bread and distributed fish to the hungry crowd. He also shared himself, more intensely and more passionately, because of the tragedy he suffered.
In the end, his openness to God his Father and his willingness to serve others helped to heal the pain in his heart. With trust and generosity, he simply moved on. In spite of his pain, he gave himself to the demand of love and service. Can this not also be the path to our own healing? Can we entrust our pain to God and allow love to lead us forward? In the end, it was not simply self-care but genuine spiritual care.
REFLECT
How do you deal with personal disasters? It is good to seek healing for our wounds. But it is equally important to look beyond ourselves and move on by letting go of the past and being willing to accept the challenge to love and serve in the present.
