The Gospel today begins with Jesus withdrawing to a lonely place to mourn and pray after hearing of the death of John the Baptist – his cousin, friend and comrade – only to find that this secret place has been invaded by crowds of people. Although he could respond in many ways, Jesus chose the way of compassion and grace. He demonstrates in this reading all that we have heard during the month of July about the way of the kingdom of heaven – hidden from the learned and the wise but revealed to infants.
Now he shows the disciples how to live in the way of grace – how to move beyond the despair of not being able to solve all the worlds problems, into the realisation that this way of grace means you can do what you can, with what you have, where you are – when it is blessed and broken by the Lord.
Recorded at St John Vianney Church (10’36”)