One lesson I have learned as a Catholic who tries their best to receive the sacrament of reconciliation on a somewhat regular basis is the need to arrive well before the sacrament’s start time advertised on most parish websites, lest the line for confession be so long that the priest is unable to get to everyone.

This rather unfortunate fact often leads to commentaries on the need for more priestly vocations, both for the sake of laypeople who desire to deepen their relationship with Jesus and for the priests who are often overworked and have no time to “rest a while.” Although an increase in holy priests is indeed something we should pray for daily, it nonetheless strikes me that the need to hasten to meet Jesus and his ministers is something that has existed since the beginning of Christianity.

Ultimately, this speaks to humanity’s inclination to eternal, loving union with God in heaven, an inclination that can never be fully satisfied on earth, no matter how early one arrives for confession or how many times one travels to a “deserted place” for a retreat or a rest. While Christ’s concern for the mental, emotional, and physical health of his disciples shows that such a withdrawal from the world is important, the movement of his heart upon seeing the vast crowd shows once again that humanity’s greatest needs are spiritual and are ultimately satisfied only in the loving heart of God.

And what better place to encounter God’s heart on this earth than in the Eucharist? It is through our faithful reception of the Eucharist that we discover Martha and Mary together: solace in the midst of ministry, peace in the midst of action. Let us give thanks to God that we have been blessed with this “opportunity even to eat.”