Daily Catholic Lectio. Sat, 7 February ‘26. Coming back or returning

Daily Catholic Lectio

Sat, 7 February ‘26

Fourth Week in Ordinary Time, Saturday

1 Kgs 3:4-13. Mk 6:30-34

Coming back or returning

Mark understands discipleship with three clear movements: being called, being sent, and coming back. The Gospel today places us firmly in this third moment. The disciples return to Jesus after their mission. Discipleship does not end with activity; it matures in returning.

The scene of their return contains three essential pastoral elements.

First, pastoral reporting.

The disciples gather around Jesus and report all that they had done and taught. This is not mere narration; it is accountability. They were sent by Jesus, acted in his authority, and therefore return to him. Mission is never self-generated. Reporting back keeps disciples humble, rooted, and faithful to the one who sends.

Second, pastoral rest.

While they are still sharing their experiences, Jesus interrupts with a surprising invitation: “Come away by yourselves to a lonely place and rest a while.” Success does not impress him. Rest matters more. Jesus knows the danger of becoming attached to our works, achievements, and recognition. Rest reminds us that we are not indispensable. The world goes on even when we stop. In rest, our ego is gently dismantled, and our dependence on God is restored.

Third, pastoral empathy.

As they go away, the crowd follows. Seeing them, Jesus is moved with compassion, for they are like sheep without a shepherd. He changes his plan. Rest is postponed; compassion takes priority. Jesus teaches us to read the signs of the time and to allow human need to reshape our pastoral schedules. True leadership is not rigid; it is responsive.

From this Gospel flow three invitations for our own journey of returning.

(a) Returning to God in prayer. Like the disciples, we are called each day to come back to the Lord and speak honestly about what we did, what we taught, whom we met, and what we learned. Prayer is not escape; it is reporting back to the One who sent us.

(b) Returning to ourselves in rest. In stepping away from noise and activity, we rediscover our limits. Rest is not laziness; it is truth. It teaches us humility and interior freedom.

(c) Returning to others with empathy. Compassion shifts us from self-centeredness to other-centredness. Empathy must become action. Only those who can be moved by others are fit to lead and to serve.

The first reading presents Solomon, who asks God not for power or success, but for wisdom. His prayer reveals true wisdom: the wisdom to pray, the wisdom to pause, and the wisdom to feel with others. Wisdom is not brilliance; it is balance.

Today’s Word invites us not merely to go out and work, but to come back—to God, to ourselves, and to one another. 

Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi

Archdiocese of Madurai

Missionary of Mercy