He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat. So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.

Mark 6:31-32

Dear friends,

This week I will be headed down the road to rest awhile with the Lord. I will be making my annual retreat. As I have done for some years, I will head down to Mount Angel Abbey and stay there for the week, praying and resting with the Lord.

A retreat is not only expected of a priest but is required by Canon Law. It is so important to take a bit of time away to get things in order, to “rest a while.” In this passage of the Gospel the next line is, “People saw them leaving and many came to know about it. They hastened there on foot from all the towns and arrived at the place before them.” I will miss you next week, but I hope that you will not beat me to Mount Angel. If I see you there, I will know the earnestness with which you want to see me and like Christ I am sure my heart will be moved with pity to minister to you. It has happened to many a priest while trying to get away for a retreat that shortly after arriving they get the call that there is an emergency, or a death, and moved with pity they return home to take care of the flock with which they are entrusted. If something should happen while I am gone, we will call on retired or neighboring priests before I might need to return home.

I want to take this opportunity to encourage you to make a retreat. I know that the busy life of a parent does not often afford itself to time away, but can it? Is there a way to set something up with your spouse so that you can get away for the weekend? Can you put the children up with the grandparents, godparents, aunts or uncles? Just a few days away can make a huge impact on your life. Recently we had a flyer for the Palisades Retreat Center in the bulletin. They are offering some great retreats in the near future. Information about retreats and the schedule is available on the Archdiocese of Seattle website at www.seattlearchdiocese.org/Retreats.

Also, to give you a heads up, if you can’t get away for a retreat, we will be having our Lenten Mission shortly. The dates will be March 16-19. The parish mission is for you to come away for a while and be with God right here in our parish. We will do all we can to make it possible for you to be here as we offer childcare and talks in the morning and evening. There will be more information shortly, but mark your calendars as the time is short.

Know that you will all be in my prayers as I make my retreat and already I look forward to returning home renewed and ready to start Lent (it’s right around the corner).

In His Most Sacred Heart,

Fr. Jack D. Shrum