Daily Gospel Reflection

Find Your Lonely Place

Welcome back to Radical and Relevant. The Gospel of Jesus is as radical and relevant today to our own lives as it was 2,000 years ago. We're looking for a word, a phrase, or an idea. In today's gospel, we'll allow God to speak into our lives. We're looking for a virtue to adopt, to focus on for the day. Today's Gospel comes from Mark's Gospel. Again, chapter 1:29-39. "And immediately Jesus left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Simon's mother-in-law lay sick with a fever and immediately they told him of her. And he came and took her by their hand and lifted her up and the fever left her and she served them.

That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered together about the door. And he healed many who were sick with various diseases and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak because they knew him. And in the morning, a great while before day, he rose and went out to a lonely place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him followed him. And they found him, and they said to him, 'Everyone is searching for you.' And he said to them, 'Let's go to the next town that I may preach there also for that is why I came.' And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons."

Great reading. I love this reading. The phrase I'm going to focus on here is, "Everyone is searching for you." So Jesus has come into town. He's preached. He's healed everyone. And then the next morning he gets up and he goes out to pray. And Peter and the others, they come looking for him. They're like, "Jesus, everyone is searching for you. They're looking for you. They get it now. They want you. You're a rockstar. You're famous."

And Jesus says, "Let's get out of here. Let's get out of here." You think about today's culture where people are desperate. They're grasping at the tiniest little bit of fame or celebrity or notoriety, whatever. And Jesus is allergic to this stuff. Peter's like, "Come on, Jesus, everyone's looking for you." He's like, "Let's get out of here right now." And I love that. I just think it's just fantastic. It gives great clarity about what, he had a mission. He wasn't confused about his mission. His mission wasn't to be celebrity. His mission wasn't to be famous. That wasn't his mission. His mission wasn't for people to deal with him in those ways. His mission was very clear. And he had this focus. He had this determination. He had this steadfastness that we talked about a few days ago. The virtue of the day is prayer, is holy conversation, okay? Jesus goes out to a lonely place.

Really, I want to challenge you today to find a lonely place. Go to your church, probably empty and quiet most of the day. There's an Adoration Chapel near you. Go and find that place. Go to a lonely place. Maybe it's a park bench somewhere. Find a lonely place today and spend some time reconnecting with yourself, reconnecting with your God, working out who you are, what you're here for, what mission he's calling you to, because that clarity is a beautiful thing. He wants to give you that clarity. And from that clarity comes great focus and determination and steadfastness and the joy that we crave and are hungry for. Have a great day. God bless you. Remember, don't just be yourself, be the very best version of yourself, all that God created you to be, everything that God created you to be.