When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself (Mt 14:13).

This is not the first nor the last time that Jesus withdrew to a deserted place. Unfortunately, his effort for some alone time ended abruptly, for when he got off the boat, he was immediately met by people seeking him.

Making time for quiet may seem like a waste of time, just a simple act, but it is one that is very necessary. As busy as Jesus was, Jesus would make time to pray. Though the “deserted place” was full of people by the time his boat reached the shore, he did have some quiet, alone time before he disembarked. Jesus showed no frustration for having his plans interrupted, in fact, his “heart was moved with pity for them” (Mt 13:14).

Often, we lose our patience when we are interrupted. When we are cut off or cut short by someone else, we may react in a negative way internally or externally. Most of the times our hearts are not moved with pity, nor do we show compassion for those who may consciously or unconsciously come to us in need.

If we find that we are constantly impatient, short with others, one reason could be that we do not give ourselves time to stop and be still, we do not make time to pray, we do not sit still, internally as well as externally, even for a few moments and breath. We just keep moving, on the phone, on our apps, on the computer, working, studying, interacting with others, completing this activity believing that once we finish we will be all caught up. Hyped up on caffeine to keep up the pace we have set, we then wonder why we are consistently anxious or on edge, if we are even aware!

Jesus sought some downtime possibly to process the death of John the Baptist, and in today’s Gospel, we read that he did not get the amount of time he set out to have. Though he did get a brief respite on the boat before he reached the shore. When he saw the people, he did not whisper to himself, “Oh no, here they come again.” He instead was moved with compassion to serve their needs.

One way we grow in our faith and improve our health, is to put into practice the actions and teachings of Jesus. Giving ourselves, even a few minutes of quiet time as Jesus did in today’s Gospel can be of great help. I found this to be true one November afternoon during my first year back at seminary. I was attempting to get some reading done for a class when my head began to bob. I don’t drink coffee or caffeine drinks and usually would just push myself through. Instead, this time I felt led to try something new.

I set the alarm on my phone for fifteen minutes. I was out within thirty seconds and didn’t move again until the alarm went off. Unlike feeling groggy and disoriented when I had taken longer naps in the past, I felt a bit more refreshed. I got back to the reading and got more done in less time because I was more alert. This became a regular pattern in which most days at 3:00, I would stop, pray the chaplet of Divine Mercy, and then take a fifteen-minute nap.

Some days I did so at different times or on occasion not at all but this became a regular practice and made a big difference. Jesus invites each of us in our own unique ways to be still, pray, and rest daily. The time that we commit to need not be for a long period, five to ten minutes a day can work wonders. What matters more is being consistent and giving our mind and bodies time to reset and renew. Doing so will make not only a big difference in our lives but also in the lives of those we interact with on a regular basis.

Photo: My favorite icon. It hangs behind the altar in St. Mary’s Chapel at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary. This chapel was a wonderful place to get away and pray for awhile.

Link for the Mass readings for Monday, August 5, 2024