At the beginning of today's gospel passage, Jesus demonstrates a very human reaction. When (he) heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew ... to a deserted place by himself (Mt 14:13). Jesus loved John, so we can understand why he would have wanted some time alone to mourn, but the crowds followed him. Perhaps they searched for him: they didn't give up.
It is interesting to note that when Jesus saw the crowd, he did not react with anger; rather, his heart was moved with pity for them (Mt 14:14). Jesus was fully human and fully divine. While he may have wanted to withdraw, he recognized the needs of those who came to him, and he responded to those needs: he cured the sick and even recognizing their hunger and providing for them (cf Mt 14:15-21).
Whenever our hearts have been wounded, we too feel the desire to withdraw from the world around us. For awhile, we may give in to this reaction, but even if we are grieving, we cannot ignore the needs that are around us: the sick and the hungry who need our help. Jesus had compassion for their needs, even in spite of his own need. Let us ask him today to help us to always be aware of the needs of others, and to generously respond even in spite of our own needs.
Have a great day.
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