Jesus Withdrew Toward The Sea

“Jesus withdrew toward the sea…” I know that the sea is my happy place and I withdraw there whenever I need to get away, recharge, and fill up on rest. It seems like Jesus also needed a get away in today’s gospel. The crowds had become so large, coming from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, Jordan, Tyre, and Sidon, that Jesus felt literally crushed. I love that Jesus teaches us that self-care is a very necessary thing for our spiritual well being. I know that we good Christians tend to get caught in this cycle of “doing” more and more Christian things and we put ourselves on the back burner of the care spectrum thinking we need to be everything to everyone else. Guilty as charged. The fact of the matter is that we are no good for anyone if we are completely exhausted and depleted of our own soul’s resources. We need to come at all of our “activities” (action) from a place of rest or else our Christian action will turn into just Christian motions without substance. Our substance is our rest in the Lord. What does that mean? Getting away every now and then, saying no more often, making time to just be in His presence daily, breathing in the sea air to fill our lungs with peace, choosing self-care as regularly as we do other-care, and having a boat ready so we don’t get crushed. Whatever your happy place, your get away spot, your sea air, or your “boat” are, Jesus tells us today to withdraw there especially when things get overwhelming, but I say do these things long before the crowds come crushing in on us. When we practice rest and self-care we become more available, more present, and more thoughtful in our daily encounters. 

The crowds came because they were “hearing what he was doing.” When people hear about what we are doing, they will press us to do more, and that is wonderful, but we need to take our cues from Jesus and not let the crowds crush us. “Jesus withdrew toward the sea” and so should we every once in a while. It is well with my soul.  

Shout out to Letty Peck on her birthday!!!! 

Reading 1 1 SM 18:6-9; 19:1-7

When David and Saul approached
(on David’s return after slaying the Philistine),
women came out from each of the cities of Israel to meet King Saul,
singing and dancing, with tambourines, joyful songs, and sistrums.
The women played and sang:

“Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his ten thousands.”

Saul was very angry and resentful of the song, for he thought:
“They give David ten thousands, but only thousands to me.
All that remains for him is the kingship.”
And from that day on, Saul was jealous of David.

Saul discussed his intention of killing David
with his son Jonathan and with all his servants.
But Saul’s son Jonathan, who was very fond of David, told him:
“My father Saul is trying to kill you.
Therefore, please be on your guard tomorrow morning;
get out of sight and remain in hiding.
I, however, will go out and stand beside my father
in the countryside where you are, and will speak to him about you.
If I learn anything, I will let you know.”

Jonathan then spoke well of David to his father Saul, saying to him:
“Let not your majesty sin against his servant David,
for he has committed no offense against you,
but has helped you very much by his deeds.
When he took his life in his hands and slew the Philistine,
and the LORD brought about a great victory
for all Israel through him,
you were glad to see it.
Why, then, should you become guilty of shedding innocent blood
by killing David without cause?”
Saul heeded Jonathan’s plea and swore,
“As the LORD lives, he shall not be killed.”
So Jonathan summoned David and repeated the whole conversation to him.
Jonathan then brought David to Saul, and David served him as before.

Responsorial Psalm 56:2-3, 9-10A, 10B-11, 12-13

R.    (5b)  In God I trust; I shall not fear.
Have mercy on me, O God, for men trample upon me;
all the day they press their attack against me.
My adversaries trample upon me all the day;
yes, many fight against me.
R.    In God I trust; I shall not fear.
My wanderings you have counted;
my tears are stored in your flask;
are they not recorded in your book?
Then do my enemies turn back,
when I call upon you.
R.    In God I trust; I shall not fear.
Now I know that God is with me.
In God, in whose promise I glory,
in God I trust without fear;
what can flesh do against me?
R.    In God I trust; I shall not fear.
I am bound, O God, by vows to you;
your thank offerings I will fulfill.
For you have rescued me from death,
my feet, too, from stumbling;
that I may walk before God in the light of the living.
R.    In God I trust; I shall not fear.

Alleluia 2 TM 1:10

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MK 3:7-12

Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples.
A large number of people followed from Galilee and from Judea.
Hearing what he was doing,
a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem,
from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan,
and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon.
He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd,
so that they would not crush him.
He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases
were pressing upon him to touch him.
And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him
and shout, “You are the Son of God.”
He warned them sternly not to make him known.