The Fifth Sunday of the year (Education Sunday)

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There is a huge danger in modern society today. And it is a disastrous disease that is sweeping across the whole of Western society today: that is the danger of doing too much. I know as a priest that there is always something to do, always another place to be. You could unsuccessfully do 12 hour days 7 days a week. And I am not the only profession/vocation that can do silly hours. And so that actually happens is that we are defined by what we do rather than who we are. By doing we feel needed and wanted by those around us. It is something that gives us value in our lives.  The common phrase we find ourselves are “Would love to, Yes of course, I can do that.” They always seem constantly busy and doing things.  But by slowing down and stopping sometimes causes a great deal of guilt for ourselves.

We run from one event to another without taking time for ourselves and then we wonder why we always feel under weather or get angry. And sometimes we have in ourselves an innate feeling that everyone needs us so we must be all things to all people. We get this wonderful false impression that only we can save the situation.
In the Gospel today we get this idea of a day in the life of Jesus where he seems to go from place to place doing many things and from casting out devils to preaching the Kingdom of God. In a sense his work was never done and yet we learn that he was able to take some time out to pray and just be.


This weekend we celebrate Education Sunday it is where we celebrate and also recognize and thank God for the work of our Catholic Schools. We see from today’s Gospel that there is a holistic approach to the life of Jesus where he takes time for himself as well as work. So what should our schools be teaching? If we see that Catholic Education is just about passing exams and teaching our young people to be doers then we are missing the mark. We also need to teach our Children the Catholic faith and to reflect and learn how to be. But most of all we must teach our young people to pray and have a relationship with the person of Jesus.

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