Word to the Wise
Saturday, February 9, 2019 - Saturday in the 4th Week in Ordinary Time
[Heb 13:15-17, 20-21 and Mark 6:30-34]The Apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all that they had done and taught. He said to them, "Come away to a deserted place and rest a while." People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat. [Mark]
On one hand, this passage testifies to the growing popularity of Jesus. On the other hand, it speaks to the price to be paid for that popularity. Any pastoral worker can testify to that price. Priests and deacons are required to make a retreat every year. I have just finished mine, and a big part of my itinerant ministry is the preaching of retreats for priests and deacons and other pastoral ministers. Although these preached retreats are common, there are also what are known as "directed" retreats in which the participants meet individually with the director and there are no "conferences.:
The fundamental purpose of the retreat is what the apostles did. They reported to Jesus all they had done and taught. They also had to come to terms with their limitations and realize that the attractiveness of the power Jesus had given to them meant that they could be worn out and burned out very quickly. One of the things I speak about at a preached retreat is the necessity of taking care of one's physical, emotional and spiritual health. It's a matter of staying in shape for an important work. An annual retreat is just one component of that process, but it can be a time when important resolutions and decisions are made about one's life and ministry. Some parishes offer ACTS retreats which are open to all parishioners. Some people remember retreats as an enforced period of silence and introversion, but I hope that my readers will overcome those unhappy memories and consider the value of a retreat each year. It's good spiritual hygiene! AMEN