Fr. Michael writes: Most of us live very busy lives. We devote very little time to prayer and reflection in our lives. The result is that many of us live very restless and spiritually impoverished lives. Today’s Gospel shows us how in the midst of his most pressing work Jesus took time out to pray and to restore his energies. It also provided him with a breathing space and a chance to recover mentally and spiritually as well as physically. Whatever our role in life we too need to find that “lonely place” in our lives. There we can reflect, meditate on the past and the future, draw up the balance sheet and examine the world and ourselves. At the same time we seek out God and lay before him the totality of our lives. This kind of prayer will transform and fortify us. We should all find a place and time for it.5th Sunday of the Year