I know all who read this are busy persons. Busy with your families and your practices. Even those who are retired are busy. On one busy day, Jesus said to His disciples, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest for a while” (Mark 6:30-34). What did He mean by these words? What do they mean to us today?
Ultimately, Jesus is calling us all to carve out a little silence each day to rest in the loving arms of God. It is during these moments we receive true peace, the kind only He can give in this troubled world. This is a different kind of peace that the world gives which comes and goes like the wind. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” (John 14:27) It was this peace that someone saw in the face of St. Teresa Benedicta on her way to Auschwitz to die during WWII.
The peace that God gives is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. St. Paul wrote, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. Against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)
If you feel you are too busy to set aside some quiet time each day to develop the habit of contemplative prayer, then perhaps you are too busy. It’s time to make some adjustments. Even football players make adjustments during half time. Even many busy persons will admit they spend more time on their smart devices than prayer. If one needed some lifesaving therapy each day, they would make the time.
I suggest getting up 10 to 15 minutes earlier each day and spend it in silence adoring the Triune God in the secret recesses of your heart. It is during this time that you will experience profound peace. Psalm 23 says, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” This is important because when we are filled with peace from the Holy Spirit, we will also receive joy from God, another fruit of the Spirit. It is then we will grasp more fully the importance of following the advice of Jesus Who said, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest for a while.”
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