God promises us a sense of relief, if we are willing to surrender some of our independence to the Lord. Yes, we must have enough drive to do what is required of us, but we are not to strive so much that we wear ourselves out. The key to the balance is allowing Jesus to help shoulder our load. The Master is willing to not only instruct us in how to find the equilibrium between doing our fair share and working ourselves into exhaustion, but He is willing to bear the brunt of the burden for us, if we hand it over to Him.
Our readings today bring hope, even in the face of hardships. God speaks through Isaiah reassuring the Chosen People they will experience joy after their time of pain and sorrow. The psalm reminds us that God is aware of our difficulties will answer our prayers. In the Gospel, Jesus invites all those who are finding life burdensome to come to Him to experience rest.
We may think we are a people burdened more than any other, especially this year. Yet, if we take a look at history, almost every decade of every century has had its share of burdens. Even in Isaiah’s and Jesus’ times, there were pressures on people. The Good News of today’s readings is that God is very much aware of all that weighs us down. God sees the hardships we are facing. God hears our cries, is willing to do something about our problems. God offers us hope that life is more than the struggles we have to deal. God promises a fuller life if we are willing to just seek to deepen our relationship with God through prayer, reflection, and actions.
The only way we will have a lighter burden and experience the life which Jesus promises is if we are joined to Him, giving up some of our supposed independence. It means spending time – more time – with the Master Who teaches us. It means spending time each day praying and reading His Word. It requires us taking to heart all of His words and teachings. The choice is ours: more stress and work on our own or a shared burden being borne by the Master-Teacher Who is gentle and humble of heart.
Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, help us to love like Jesus.
Abba Meskel Abib