January 15, 2020 – Wednesday of the 1^st Week in Ordinary Time

Click here for the readings http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/011520.cfm

Homily

Have you been so busy these days? Or are you expecting a busy schedule in the coming days because of your upcoming exams, reports to present, business engagements, and overwhelming workloads?

Sometimes these things consume us. We become tensed and even anxious because of a busy schedule. We tend to forget other important aspects in our life such as our personal care and relationship with our family and friends. When we are overwhelmed, we also tend to lose our balance, thus, we also need to re-balance our life. As a response, we initiate recreations to make ourselves grounded and sane.

Some of these recreations may take in the forms of spending time in a spa, in a beach, cinemas, mobile games, or even in eating, smoking and drinking alcohol, etc. However, some may be healthy and beneficial but some may be not. 

What is interesting in today’s Gospel is how Jesus teaches us something that would really make our life regain our balance in the midst of overwhelming days and even in the midst of a struggling and problematic life. 

Jesus has begun his public ministry. The Gospel of Mark described to us how busy Jesus was. Jesus had been from one town to another to proclaim God’s kingdom and heal the sick. People from all over the place too have sought Jesus. They have brought with them their varied concerns and wanted to be near to Jesus to have a solution to their individual struggles and concerns. Everyone was looking for him. We can also imagine how overwhelmed Jesus was.

Yet, with all of these, Jesus remained and kept his balance, he remained grounded and fully aware of what was happening around him. As a way of unwinding, Jesus got up very early and went to a quite place in order to RELAX and PRAY. 

Jesus’ way of releasing the bodily, mental or emotional tensions was through prayer. His prayer was his way of reconnecting to his Father. Prayer was his way of listening carefully to the will of his father. It was his way of making his life grounded, balanced and centred.

Prayer is not a mere distraction to what is routine and ordinary. Prayer is not a way of diverting ourselves from what is going on with our life. However, prayer brings us into the experience of our life, by becoming more aware of ourselves, of our thoughts and actions and most importantly, a way of being aware of God’s invitation for us at the very moment.

This is the invitation for us today. Are you having a heavy and busy day? Or will the coming days be overwhelming for you? Then, do not distract yourself from other forms of diversion, but rather, allow yourself to RELAX by PRAYING so that you may be grounded, connected and balanced by spending a quality time with the Lord. And it is free of charge, and we will rather be re-charged. We don’t have to make a lot of words in our prayer too. Silence is enough. Being aware of God’s presence is enough. Hinuat pa.

Jom Baring, CSsR