Biblically speaking, “rest” is what God did after six days of creation. It implies the completion of a task and not having to do more “work.” It is a time of celebration and rejoicing. It does not mean “lack of activity”. Eternal rest means a time of being able to enjoy what GOD has done, and what one has done, and being with others who also are free from labouring.
The first reading invites us to ponder the “rest” awaiting the faithful. The Responsorial Psalm speaks of the benefits that come from remembering the mighty deeds of God. In the Gospel, Jesus continues His ministry by proclaiming the Good News in word and action in response to the faith of a paralyzed man and his friends. People reflect on God’s deeds and act upon their reflections. It’s the description of faith. Faith is a gift from God.
Secondly, faith is the human response to God’s action. It may be the moving force which leads some people to live a life which shows that one is journeying toward the place of eternal rest. The more we respond to God’s action, the easier it is for God to continue to do mighty deeds in our lives and the lives of the people around us. That does not mean that our journey here on earth is filled with rest. Our path of life and faith is filled with paralyzing experiences, happenings that prevent us from acting the way we would like to act. It can be the death of a loved one, the pandemic, dealing with a medical problem, having to face tests and trials, financial worries.
These experiences could paralyze our relationship with God if we focus only on the struggle, the hurt. We need to look at God’s Word, the divine action recounting what God has done for the Chosen People. We need to look to the promise of rest. It is only when we reflect on how God has been moving in the lives of faith-filled people and what God has in store that we can move with the freedom of people who have been touched by Jesus, and we can proclaim what we have received – the healing which leads to resting in God’s presence. Let us “forget not the deeds of the Lord” – of the past and to come, and commit ourselves to the charitable act of doing everything we can so as to help others in need.