Photo was taken outside the Church of Our Lady of the Incarnation, Marbella, Spain

Mike O’Leary and Janice Lyne relax in beautiful sunshine after their wedding Mass in Marbella. Weddings in Spain always take place in late afternoon, as everyone takes a siesta in the afternoon because of the heat.

Thought on Sunday – August – 31/07/2011

The following reflection is by Triona Doherty

Earlier this year I read a selection of entries for a Mother’s Day competition, in which sons and daughters described why their mother deserved the prize. The entries had several themes in common – She never does anything for herself; she’s always thinking of other people; I can’t remember when she last had a break.

In today’s Gospel it is Jesus who needs a break. It is a very human Jesus that we encounter. Having learnt of the death of John the Baptist, Jesus withdraws from the crowds in a boat to a ‘deserted place’. Like any of us, he feels the need to be alone from time to time, and this is a time of particular pressure for him. He has been preaching solidly for some time, Herod is asking questions, and now he hears his cousin John has been killed.

But there is little time for rest. Seeing the crowds that follow him, Jesus feels another very human emotion – pity. The disciples are protective of Jesus and want the people to go away, but Jesus has other ideas. It is a compassionate Jesus who addresses the hunger of his large crowd of followers. While he needs time to reflect and pray, and we can only imagine how tired and weary he feels, he is happy to postpone his own needs it while he cares for his flock. It’s an example followed by many a parent. But it is interesting to note what follows the story of the feeding of the five thousand. Having dismissed the crowds, Jesus makes another attempt to retreat by himself, this time up a mountain. His alone time is important.