The Archbishop said the Gospel accounts show that Jesus’ decision to withdraw was connected both to grief and to the demands of ministry.
He said that St.Matthew presents the withdrawal after Jesus receives news of John the Baptist’s death, while Mark and Luke place the invitation to rest after the disciples returned from a successful missionary assignment.
The disciples had been so occupied with their mission that “many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat,” he noted, adding that their missionary work had included casting out demons, anointing the sick with oil and healing them.
Archbishop Nwachukwu said the experience offers an important lesson for Priests who devote themselves intensely to ministry.
“God-given energy needs God-given direction,” he said, explaining that strength, passion and drive must be directed toward one’s vocation and mission. Otherwise, he warned, such energy can easily be spent elsewhere.
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He said this spiritual energy, when properly directed, can lead a person to Christ and enable him or her to bring others to Christ.
He recalled Pope Benedict XVI’s homily at his Episcopal Ordination on 6 January 2013, in which the late Pontiff described the spiritual restlessness of the Magi as the force that led them from the East in search of the newborn Jesus.
According to Archbishop Nwachukwu, such restlessness finds its fulfilment in Christ.
The Archbishop also reflected on Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11:28: “Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
He cautioned that rest detached from Christ can be harmful to priests, emphasizing that the rest Jesus offers is not simply an escape from work but a source of renewal.
He explained that the Greek expression used in the passage, kagō anapausō humas, means “and I will give you rest.” The verb anapauō, he noted, conveys the idea of an elevating or renewing rest.
For Priests, Archbishop Nwachukwu said, this kind of rest should include periods of detachment from routine activities to allow for physical renewal and to strengthen relationships with God, fellow priests, family members and the faithful.
He added that physical refreshment should include ordinary needs such as taking adequate time to eat and drink, while mental and spiritual renewal should involve learning how to direct one’s energies toward Christ through prayer and genuine charity.
Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.