August 16
Come Away and Rest Awhile
Scripture
“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.”
— Mark 6:31
Reflection
There is always something else that needs to be done.
Another responsibility. Another problem to solve. Another person who needs us. Another worry demanding our attention. Another task waiting until tomorrow.
Sometimes we become so accustomed to carrying everything that we forget that Jesus never asked us to carry life without Him.
In today’s Gospel ver... more
August 16
Come Away and Rest Awhile
Scripture
“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.”
— Mark 6:31
Reflection
There is always something else that needs to be done.
Another responsibility. Another problem to solve. Another person who needs us. Another worry demanding our attention. Another task waiting until tomorrow.
Sometimes we become so accustomed to carrying everything that we forget that Jesus never asked us to carry life without Him.
In today’s Gospel verse, the disciples had been busy ministering to others. People were constantly coming and going, and Scripture tells us they hardly had time even to eat. Jesus saw their exhaustion.
And notice what He did.
He did not criticize them for being tired.
He did not give them another assignment.
He said:
“Come away… and rest a while.”
There is something deeply beautiful about those words because they reveal the heart of Christ. Jesus understands human weakness. He knows that our bodies become tired, our minds become overwhelmed, and even our spirits can become weary.
And so He invites us to come away with Him.
Sunday gives us that invitation every week.
The Lord’s Day is not simply another square on the calendar. It is a gift from God—a sacred interruption in the constant movement of life reminding us that our worth does not come from how much we accomplish.
We stop because God is God.
We worship because He is worthy.
We rest because we trust that the world will continue turning even when we loosen our grip upon it.
For Catholics, Sunday draws us especially toward the altar and the Holy Eucharist. We come carrying everything the week has placed upon us—our victories and failures, gratitude and disappointment, confidence and uncertainty.
And there we encounter Christ.
The same Jesus who told His disciples to come away and rest still calls us to Himself.
“Come to Me.”
Bring the exhaustion.
Bring the questions.
Bring the things you cannot fix.
Bring the people you are worried about.
Bring the mistakes you wish you could undo.
Bring the prayers that still seem unanswered.
Place them before Him.
Then receive Him.
The Eucharist reminds us that Christianity is not primarily about how tightly we can hold onto God. It is about recognizing how faithfully God continues to hold onto us.
Holy rest does not necessarily mean doing nothing. It means allowing our souls to remember where our strength comes from.
Sometimes rest looks like sitting quietly with Scripture.
Sometimes it is praying the Rosary.
Sometimes it is sharing a meal with people we love.
Sometimes it is walking outside and noticing the beauty of God’s creation.
Sometimes it is simply sitting before the Lord and saying nothing at all.
We spend so much of our lives speaking to God that occasionally we need to become quiet enough to let our hearts listen.
Tomorrow will bring another week.
There will be responsibilities again. Decisions will need to be made. Problems may arise that we cannot anticipate today.
But we do not need tomorrow’s strength yet.
God gives grace for today.
So today, accept Christ’s invitation.
Come away.
Rest awhile.
Let Him carry what you have been carrying.
Let Him quiet what has been troubling you.
Let Him remind you that you are loved not because of what you accomplish, but because you belong to Him.
Before you begin another week, let Jesus restore what the last one took out of you.
And when tomorrow comes, rise again—not depending solely upon your own strength, but renewed by the One who promises to walk every step beside you.
⸻
Prayer
Lord Jesus,
Thank You for inviting me to come away and rest in Your presence.
You know the burdens I carry, the responsibilities that await me, the worries I rarely speak aloud, and the places within me that have grown tired.
Today I place them before You.
Quiet my mind.
Restore my spirit.
Strengthen my faith.
Help me remember that I do not have to solve everything today and that I was never meant to walk through life relying only upon my own strength.
As I worship You on this Lord’s Day, draw me closer to Your Sacred Heart. In the Holy Eucharist, nourish me with Your presence and renew within me the grace I need for the week ahead.
Teach me to rest without guilt, to trust without fear, and to surrender what I cannot control.
And when a new week begins, send me forward renewed—ready to love more patiently, forgive more freely, serve more generously, and follow You more faithfully.
Jesus, I trust in You.
Amen.
Thought for Today
Rest is not always stepping away from life. Sometimes it is stepping closer to Jesus so He can give us the strength to return to it.
Today’s Practice
Set aside at least ten quiet minutes with God today beyond your usual prayers or Sunday Mass.
Put the phone aside. Turn off the television. Sit somewhere peaceful.
Do not begin with a list of requests.
Simply pray:
“Jesus, I am here. Help me rest in You.”
Then remain quiet for a few minutes.
Before you finish, place one burden from the past week into His hands and deliberately choose not to pick it back up today.
Let Sunday be Sunday.
Rest.
Worship.
Give thanks.
And trust God with the week that has not yet begun.
CAA Matt Renaldo
Priory of St Michael the Archangel
Fides Et Veritas
