“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.”
In what ways do we come here feeling labored, burdened, and in need of rest? Maybe we feel the weight of illness as it bears down upon us or upon one whom we love. Maybe it is the long hours of work that are put in throughout the course of a week or the fear of losing a job. Maybe it is the struggle of married life. Maybe it is the pull of sin upon us that constantly pulls us downward into doubt. What is it that leaves us labored, burdened, and in need of rest?
We try to overcome this feeling of being overburdened through many different avenues. Our Gospel instructs us of the proper avenue to which we should pursue and that avenue is Christ.
Christ thus instructs us: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”
Truly we bear upon ourselves great burdens which are constantly weighing us down. Christ is the answer to which we must strive. He alone has the power to heal us. We must remember that it was upon the cross that He offered Himself entirely and without reservation on our behalf. Thus He bears upon Himself all that gives us burden, but we must be willing to abandon such things unto Him. Thus here at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass we come to set our sight upon Christ and His Passion. From this reality we gather together our prayers, needs, and burdens and surrender them unto Him.
Rather then abandonment unto Christ and His profound mercy we continue to grasp onto distractions without entrusting ourself to Him. Thus we find ways to distract ourself from that which leaves us burdened rather then allowing Christ to be the one who fulfills us.
Thus as we approach this week which lies ahead may we be willing to foster faith in Christ to where we are willing to abandon all out of love for Him. A great act of abandonment that we can offer is that of a good confession thus allowing Christ to take the weight of our sin and thus to allow ourself to walk out clean. Let us come to know the silence of prayer in the midst of a world a noise which does everything to drown out the voice of Christ. Let us pray each day before a crucifix contemplating the mysteries of our Lord’s Passion and thus be willing to abandon all the struggles present in our life at His feet. Let us be present to those around us who are in need of Christ’s mercy and thus assure them of the yoke of Christ and thus too be willing to keep them and their needs in our prayers.
Truly the Lord desires to take our yoke upon Himself. In doing so our burden will become light. May we truly allow Christ to assist us in such a fashion rather continuing to hold onto our burdens to the point that they overwhelm us. May we thus allow the Savior of the world to bring us the assurance of rest.
