18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes
He was persecuted for preaching the truth. Though he had done nothing wrong, he was hated. They arrested and imprisoned this righteous and holy man, and when questioned, his answers would confound the questioner. The secular ruler was reluctant to put this man to death, but in the end, bowing to social pressure, he ordered his unjust execution. After his death, his disciples took their teacher’s body, laid it in a tomb, and mourned him. This death, this murder, this martyrdom of St. John the Baptist was mourned by Jesus too.
Recall that John the Baptist was Jesus’ relative and friend. In John’s Passion and death, Jesus could see a foreshadowing of his own. Jesus weeps at the tomb of Lazarus, but Lazarus died from a natural illness and was resurrected soon after. John the Baptist’s death was caused by the wicked, the direct result of chosen sins. And Jesus mourned him realizing he would never see John again in this life.
“When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns.” When Jesus arrived, “disembarked, and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.” Then Jesus fed them all using five loaves of bread and two fish; the only miracle (besides his Resurrection) which is recorded by all four Gospels. Then Jesus “made the disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. Then [Jesus] went up on the mountain by himself to pray, [and] when it was evening, he was there by himself.”
Jesus and his disciples experienced times of mourning. We and our loved ones will experience times of mourning, too. In today’s Gospel, Jesus Christ, our model for our Christian life, provides us lessons for such seasons.
First, Jesus took time to mourn and it was not selfish for him to do so. He withdrew to mourn and spend time alone, but in that solitude he prayed. Many psalms and Old Testament scenes have God’s faithful voicing their painful laments to God. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, even though he was divine, prayed to God as man. He did this for personal consolation and that others would be helped. Remember to pray for the souls of the departed and feel free to speak to them, for I am convinced that not even death can entirely separate those who are in Christ.
When Jesus arrived at that desolate place and found the large crowd, his heart was moved with pity. Without suggesting any fault in Jesus, sometimes our sufferings can make us more sensitive to the sufferings of others. Jesus does not close in on himself. He goes outside himself to serve others. How do you think it felt for Jesus to help so many (perhaps while experiencing feelings of such powerlessness)? It was a consolation to him. Going out beyond ourselves can help in healing a mournful heart.
Sometimes when we know someone is mourning, we give them so much respectful space they end up being treated like lepers. The crowds (whether conscious of Jesus’ burdens or not) approached him like before and those encounters blessed them both. So do not be afraid to ask them a favor, offer an invite, or give them a gift; since we see such things can help them. And if they decline, don’t take it personally. Jesus’ friends brought him a meal of five loaves and two fish, and doing that did a world of good.
Jesus experienced times of mourning and we will too. Take time to mourn in solitude but keep close company with God in prayer and pray for the departed. Do not simply close in on yourself but go beyond yourself for others. And approach those who are mourning to offer healthy encounters and opportunities. It pained Jesus to be so tragically separated from his dear one, John, but Christ promises God’s people who mourn will be comforted. And these trials make us more like Jesus Christ, who consoles others. As St. Paul told the Corinthians: “[God] comforts us in all of our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” Jesus mourned like us. Let us mourn like him.
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