Numbers 11:4-15 / Matthew 14:13-21
As human beings, we know that no matter how strong or how healthy we are, we can become tired.
We work more than we rest, and when we are inflicted with sickness, we become more aware of our fragility.
As much as physical fatigue is what we often experience, there is also the emotion fatigue that drains our energy away.
It is a fatigue that eats away at our motivation, and it is also called a “burnout’.
In that state, even simple tasks can become a huge burden.
In the 1st reading, Moses was worn down by the complaints of the people.
They were clamouring for meat to eat, as they were getting tired of eating manna.
Moses began lamenting and wished that he was dead rather than to face the complaints of the people.
In the gospel, when Jesus received the news the death of John the Baptist, He withdrew to a lonely place where He and His disciples could be alone.
But when He stepped ashore, He saw a large number of people and He took pity on them and healed their sick.
Jesus even worked a miracle to feed the crowds with just five loaves and two fish.
There are and there will always be times when we are physically and emotionally fatigued.
We may even be resentful that everyone expects more from us and feel that we are taken for granted.
Like Jesus, we need to go to a lonely place and rest in the presence of the Lord.
God will give us strength to face the demands that people are making from us.
The peace and joy from the Lord will be our strength.