By Fr. Christopher Foeckler, MJ •  St. Josaphat Formation Center • Phoenix, AZ

The Lord and his disciples were working hard and “because so many were coming and going that they did not have a chance to eat, He said to them , ‘Come with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’” (Mk 6:31)

While most people are painfully aware of the need to work hard to provide for themselves, their families and others, it should not be hard for them to understand that the Lord does ask – even demands – that at the same time we work hard in His vineyard for the glory of God and the good of others. (Please note that the Vineyard of Lord and our office or workplace is the same.) In the parable of the “useless servant”, the Lord advises: “When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done no more than what we were obliged to do.’” (Lk 17:10) Yet, the Lord, who became a man like us in all things but sin, knew the need for rest and relaxation, and so invited his weary companions to “come away with Him to rest awhile.”

As we rest and relax during these summer months, we have to remember that there is no vacation from doing good and avoiding evil. In fact, that is how to ensure that we enjoy our vacation all the more. Still more it is important to recall that the merit system in the Kingdom of God works differently than in the worldly work force. For, “if the Lord does not build the house, in vain do the builders labor.”(Ps 127) It is not true in the least that in life “we get what we deserve,” because His goodness like the rain and the sunshine come to the good and the bad alike. As we should be growing more aware of in this Year of Mercy, the Lord provides so many opportunities and blessings for us to move ahead in our lives on every level by us recognizing our need for Him and His sheer goodness to us. “It is vain for you to rise early and put off your rest at night, to eat bread earned by hard toil – all this God gives to his beloved while they sleep.”(Ibid) A safe and restful vacation to all our readers.

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