Eighteenth Monday of Ordinary Time

When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.

After John the Baptist’s death, Jesus goes to a deserted place to pray. Sometimes when something sorrowful happens to our loved ones or to ourselves, we need to take time to spend with God and work through our suffering. In order to do this, we need to find a place of solitude and rest there, listening to God. Then, once we are ready, we should return to our mission renewed in the Spirit with eyes filled with compassion for others who might be going through their own trials. It is in this way that prayer and works move us forward in life toward our own Jerusalem and our own passions where we shall be faced with the same choice Jesus was given in the garden: to do our will or God’s Will.

How can we overcome our sorrows through prayer and works? What can we do to show our compassion for others even in the midst of our own trials? Are we doing our will or God’s Will?

O Lord, may our lives be filled with renewing prayer and fulfilling works.

Amen.