In the Gospel passage this weekend, we see Jesus attending to his weary apostles who have just returned from their first preaching mission. We get the impression that they were very tired and not feeling all that successful. In addition, Jesus expresses his concern for the people who, the Gospel says, are like “sheep without a shepherd" but have gathered to meet Jesus in the wilderness. And so we see kind of a dual message here...concern for the apostles who are trying to “evangelize” and concern for the people who are “hungry for the word of God.” When we think seriously about our own “Christian life,” we should recognize that, just like the first apostles, there is a continuous passing back and forth from the presence of God (our prayer life) to the presence of people to whom we are witnessing. It’s like a revolving door…each feeding the other. Prayer is such an essential element of the Christian life. We’re not necessarily talking here about being on our knees for hours reciting the rosary. Prayer is simply listening and speaking to God. By setting aside enough time for Him to speak to us and for us to speak to Him, we allow God the opportunity to communicate with us and to recharge our batteries with spiritual energy and strength. He can speak powerfully to us when we carve out some time from our day to read the Holy Gospel, meditate on the message God gives us through what we read, and just plain “sitting with God” and waiting for Him to speak to us. When we do this, we will receive the strength we need from Him to do our share of preaching and “living the Gospel.” And THIS is what an apostle does to witness to the God he/she believes is at the center of his/her heart. So…make sure you take some time for prayer if you intend to be a good disciple of Jesus! A story from the life of Mother Teresa shows her love for the lonely and unwanted people, the "sheep without a shepherd," who, while materially well-off, are sometimes "the poorest of the poor." On one occasion, she visited a well-run nursing home, where good food, medical care and other facilities were offered to the elderly. As she moved among the old people, she noticed that none of them smiled unless she touched them and smiled at them first. She also noticed that many of them kept glancing expectantly towards the door while listening to her. When she asked one of the nurses why this was so, she was told: “They are looking for a visit from someone related to them. But, except for an occasional visit, birthday gift or a ‘get well’ card, this never happens." How sad is this story? I see this myself when I visit nursing homes. People are hungry to be recognized and cared about. Jesus invites us, in today’s Gospel, to bolster ourselves with prayer and then to go out and show our concern for the lonely of the world. There are hundreds of them!!! “Gospel Question for the Week”: When is the last time you went out of your way to visit a person who is alone?