June 28, 2026 - Pastor Message
June 27, 2026“The apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. He said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while” (Mark 6:30-31).
“The apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. He said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while” (Mark 6:30-31).
Summer has officially started. In our part of the world, we normally associate summer with vacation, a time to go away and rest from the hustle and bustle of our daily lives. Jesus understood the need to take a break every once in a while, and so he invited his disciples to go away by themselves and rest. The crowds followed them and made their efforts at taking a break difficult, but the need was still there.
We need such breaks too, especially in these often chaotic and stressful times. Whether we’re talking about the global political situation, with wars raging around the world, or domestic violence and strife, with riots and mass shootings continuing to disrupt our daily lives. Whether we’re talking about the fluctuating economy, with the only constant being that the cost of daily necessities like food and gas continues to rise, or we’re talking about the seemingly unending uncertainty about our own local church, waiting for a new bishop and when, if, or how our parish will come together with neighboring parishes. Our whole lives have seemed to be like ships tossed about in a stormy sea, at least since the COVID pandemic, and it has produced a prevailing feeling and attitude of anxiety.
We need a break. As a society, we’ve been living on the edge for too long, which I think contributes to the unrest we’ve seen. We need to release all of that pent up stress and anxiety. I’m not a doctor, but I am giving all of us a spiritual prescription to take some time this summer to get out of the house, go somewhere by yourselves, and do nothing but rest and relax. It doesn’t even matter what shape that rest and relaxation takes - do whatever works for you and your family. Hike a nature trail, get on a boat and go out on a lake or down a river, go for a long drive by yourself, whatever - the point is, go away and rest. Whatever and wherever you find relaxing, go and do it. Don’t put it off, and don’t make excuses. Just go and do it. Even if it’s only for a day or two, it’s what we all need right now. And don’t think you don’t need it. Even Jesus needed a vacation sometimes, and if the Son of God needed it, so do we. So let’s follow Jesus’ example. Take some time this summer to relax and be recreated so that we can respond to Jesus’s call to get back to work in the fall, whatever work he calls to do.
Fr. Marc Stockton
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