He has just heard that His cousin, Saint John the Baptist had been arrested (Mt. 4:12). John had done nothing wrong. He was simply proclaiming Jesus and the Gospel way of life. What does Jesus do? Hе withdraws. Jesus leaves Nazareth and goes to live by the sea. His withdraw is not isolation. It is an invitation.
It is as if Jesus has gone into mourning. And then He begins to preach: "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Mt. 4:17).
The arrest of John triggers something for Jesus. The Lord mourns and then proclaims the Gospel.
Things can be distressing in our life too. We lose those we love to disease. Family feuds and disagreements grow. Hard times seem to never be far away. We struggle with impatience and anger. We make resolutions and then the avalanche returns. We can easily slip into blaming or wellintentioned, but frantic attempts to fix the latest crisis.
Mourning is important. It is important not to bypass feelings of grief at loss and hardship in our life. Early on in our life we may have memorized a few lies such as, until everything is perfect, nothing is good enough or unless I am in control nothing is safe. Control over the deeper currents of our heart is a myth. Mourning listens to the deeper echoes of our interior life.
The Lord mourned. He felt grief. It is okay for us to do so as well. Grief can be scary because it brings further unsettling emotions along with it. We can feel our grief and hurt with Jesus. He invites us to lean on Him and not to walk alone.
Reach out for the Lord. Pray before the Blessed Sacrament. Seek the intercession of the Blessed Mother. Read the Scriptures. Allow Jesus a deeper place in your heart. He knows what to do.
God bless,
Msgr. Brian Bransfield
