The Rest We Need

Kate Taliaferro considers what real rest looks like and seeks to discover the little pockets of rest Jesus cultivates in her day. 

Lately I have been listening to Jeff Cavins’ daily Gospel reflections on the Hallow app. There was a recent Gospel passage that spoke about Jesus and the disciples deciding they needed to rest from the crowds (Mark 6:30-34). They went off in a boat, intending to go to a deserted place. But the people were so hungry for the teachings of Jesus that they realized what was happening and actually beat the boat to the destination. Jesus, “moved with pity,” began teaching again rather than continuing to the respite destination. 

Seeking Rest  

While Mr. Cavins’ reflection was wonderful, I found myself caught up in the way this scenario plays out in my everyday life as a mom. We have six children and we homeschool, so there is a lot of togetherness time in our house. This is my and my husband’s choice, but there are some days that I just need a rest from being constantly surrounded by needs. So I make some plans for myself. I’ll rest during quiet time, just me and my book or knitting project. I’ll rest in the evening, taking the hour before bed to just sit in one place to really put a dent in my cross-stitch picture without needing to get up every 5 minutes.

In my ideal scenario, I would get a large chunk of time to rest. This is what Jesus and the disciples were after. A period of time set apart. No interruptions. Just the disciples and Jesus. Just me and my crafts.  

However, as may be plainly obvious, it is rare that these plans come to fruition. Or at least, that was what I thought until I spent time with this Gospel passage. Jesus actually offers me a great many opportunities for rest during my day — they just weren’t necessarily my vision of rest.  

What Is Real Rest?  

What I came to realize is that the disciples did in fact have a period of rest. They had time, on the boat, alone with Jesus. Yes, they were still working; boats don’t steer themselves, after all. But they had this time away from the crowds. They had time to chat among themselves, to feel the breeze off the water, to be in Jesus’ presence without major distractions. Most of them were expert fishermen, so the work onboard would not have taken a lot of extra effort or thought. Maybe this wasn’t the kind of lounging in the grass, gazing at the clouds doing nothing kind of rest they had envisioned, but it was a form of rest nonetheless.  

Where in my day does Jesus offer me this same kind of rest? Maybe not an hour plus of my knitting project, but 10 minutes of solitude while I fold laundry. Perhaps I won’t be able to go to the grocery story by myself (which would mean I could listen to my audiobook in peace and quiet) because there is always someone who wants to come along and they would love nothing more than listen to Moana 2 … again. But then, He offers me a slice of the afternoon’s quiet time to pray my daily Rosary without being interrupted (a rare triumph).   

As I prayed with this passage, I realized I had been expecting to have a large chunk of “me time” nearly every day. And what’s more, I was becoming angry with myself and my family for not giving me what I, incorrectly, felt that I deserved. I was overlooking all the small opportunities for true rest Jesus was giving me and complaining when I didn’t get to rest the way I wanted.  

Of course, we all need those periods of longer, intentional rest. And in different seasons of life, rest looks different than in others. Through this Gospel passage, Jesus is opening my heart to the ways He would like to share rest with me today, in this season, to refresh me so I can continue in my day. It means I won’t make as quick progress in my various projects as I would like to, but these projects aren’t the things that will bring me or my family to heaven. They are good for refreshment, but they are not the be all-end-all of my time here on earth.  

True Rest in Christ  

True rest comes from spending time with Jesus, talking with Him, being present to His working in our daily life. It’s opening ourselves to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, prioritizing the best things that need to be achieved in our day and trusting God to handle what is left. It’s sharing our hearts with our mother, Mary, and allowing her to guide us continually to the cross where we can share in Jesus’ sacrifice of love.  

Jesus knows what we need. Be it a full day at the beach or only a few minutes of quiet, hiding in the pantry from your loving family, He is there with you and will refresh and strengthen your soul for the next task ahead. 

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Copyright 2025 Kate Taliaferro
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