Pope at Angelus: Slow down, reflect, pray to be more caring

By Thaddeus Jones

Addressing the crowds gathered for the Sunday Angelus in Saint Peter's Square, Pope Francis reflected on the Gospel of the day, which recounts the apostles telling Jesus all about what they accomplished in the mission He entrusted them. The Lord then suggests they take some rest, but the crowds await them always, and the Lord expresses his compassion for them. The Pope explained how the Lord's invitation to rest and His compassion for the crowds are not mutually exclusive responses, but actually a combination of both we need to have.

Avoiding a "dictatorship of doing"

The demands of the apostolate can be exhausting, the Pope pointed out, and Jesus showed His concern for the disciples when He saw how tired they were. This is an ever present risk for us today as well, especially when enthusiasm for our mission work, with all its tasks and responsibilities, can make us fall victim to over-activism, where our "to do" list and results are the only things we see. We can become anxious and lose sight of what is essential, the Pope warned, exhausting body and spirit, which in the end weighs down on the service offered to the Church and in our pastoral care. He emphasized that we "beware of the dictatorship of doing!"

Challenges facing families

The Pope observed that in families sometimes a father may have to be at work all the time out of necessity to put bread on the table, and that means precious time with his wife and children ends up being sacrificed. Describing it as a social injustice, the Pope underscored that a father and a mother should have time to share with their children to raise a loving family and without having to fall into the "dictatorship of doing." He said let us think about how we can help families in this situation. 

Recharging body and spirit

The need to rest is not an escape from the world or a narrow focus only on personal well-being, the Pope went on to say, but is necessary for recharging our body and spirit to be able to respond with loving care and compassion to the needs of those around us. Resting and being compassionate are therefore linked, the Pope explained: "Only if we learn how to rest can we have compassion." When our hearts are not overcome with anxiousness from always doing and we are open to receiving God's grace through prayer and adoration, we can then truly "have a compassionate gaze, which knows how to respond to the needs of others," the Pope explained.

Slow down, reflect, pray

In conclusion, the Pope suggested we look at our own lives and whether we can stop what we are doing and take some time to be with the Lord, renewing ourselves in body and spirit. He prayed that the Blessed Virgin Mary my help us to "rest in the Spirit" even in the midst of all daily activities to be better available and compassionate towards others.