In today’s gospel, Jesus tells his disciples to “come away by yourselves to a lonely place (in desertum locum, εἰς ἔρημον τόπον), and rest a while” (Mark 6:31). We could think of this as an invitation to a type of retreat, to be in a lonely place in order to rest with Jesus.
In the Spiritual Exercises #20, St. Ignatius Loyola, the patron saint of retreats, observes that “ordinarily, the progress made in the Exercises will be greater, the more the exercitant withdraws from all friends and acquaintances, and from all worldly cares.” By withdrawing ourselves to a lonely place for a retreat we allow our minds to detach from apparently pressing issues in order to reflect actively on what is most important. Furthermore, we become disposed to receive any message that the Lord might be trying to communicate to us. And even if we don’t come away from our retreat with any great insights or personal improvements, the time spent alone with the Lord Jesus has value in itself.
If you are reading this blog, and have never made a retreat, or have not made one lately, please consider making one soon as a way to respond to today’s words from Jesus: “come away by yourselves to a lonely place and rest a while.”