Today the Gospel presents us with a situation, a need and a paradox that are very current.

A situation. The Apostles are “stressed”: “People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat” (Mk 6:31). We often find ourselves in the same hustle and bustle. Work demands a good part of our energy; the family, where each member wants to feel our love; the other activities to which we have committed ourselves, which do us good and, at the same time, benefit others... Where there is a will, there is a way? Perhaps it is more reasonable to recognize that we cannot do everything we would like.

A need. The body, the head and the heart claim a right: rest. In these verses we have a manual, often ignored, on rest. This is where communication stands out. The Apostles “reported all they had done” (Mk 6:30). Communication with God, following the thread of the deepest part of our heart. And – what a surprise! – we find God waiting for us. And he waits to meet us in our weariness.

Jesus tells them: “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while” (Mk 6:31). God’s plan includes a place for rest! In fact, our existence, with all its weight, must rest on God. The restless Augustine discovered this: “You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless, until they can find rest in you.” God’s rest is creative, not “anesthetic”: encountering his love centers our hearts and our thoughts.

A paradox. The Gospel scene ends “badly”: the disciples cannot rest. Jesus's plan fails: they are approached by the people. They have not been able to “disconnect.” We often cannot free ourselves from our obligations (children, spouse, work...): it would be like betraying ourselves! It is necessary to find God in these realities. If there is communication with God, if our heart rests in Him, we will relativize useless tensions... and reality - stripped of chimeras - will better show God’s imprint. In Him, there, we are to rest.