Readings: Isaiah 40:25-31; Psalm 103; Matthew 11: 28-30
Today’s readings call us to look upward. The prophet Isaiah says: “Lift up your eyes on high and see.” We’re prone to focus on the mundane, the environment that surrounds us at eye-level.
Reminders like this one may help us to see what we have been missing, that was actually there all the time. God gives us things that soar, like dreams, like birds, or as Isaiah says: “but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles” to inspire us. We all know that famous hymn that prays: “And I will raise you up on eagles’ wings”. He gives us a role to play in helping us to raise up one another – or at least not to bring others down. Even eagles get tired; all of us creatures share the confinement of our physical nature. We are not like God.
Psalm 103 provides a beautiful summary of the generosity of God, that we are often prone to underestimate. In times of trouble, we ask why and wonder if God is paying attention. “My way is hidden from the Lord.” We forget that He is there with us. In times of triumph, we can easily forget that He, the author of good, is there with us, too. We are a forgetful people. Reminding one another is important. What a lasting mark creation can makes on our souls! Can God’s love be less obvious? Perhaps someone we know needs to see the birds soar and hear them sing. All of us can get tired.
Today’s Gospel provides a comforting message for those who are tired now, as well as those who fear they may be tiring. “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” The world and its regular humdrum of demands and all the other noises that surround us can at times deprive us of the silence and peace we need. Jesus is telling us that he understands the burdens, and he can help us deal with them.
Like the eagle, we need to soar, but we also need to rest. Jesus is calling us to Himself, to seek out peace and silence, so that we may hear the song of God’s love. And perhaps He is also giving us an opportunity to assist in some small way to provide a little rest for others, for their weary, forgetful hearts. Today let’s look up; let’s look out for one another as God’s beautiful creation. Thanks be to our generous God.