May You Rest in the Peace of Christ

So - How are you feeling?  If you say or think you are tired, or sleepy - you are not alone.  Studies confirmed the fact that people are not getting enough rest, not enough sleep, not enough relaxation to stay healthy.  The stress of life is wearing us out, body and soul.  No wonder, with all due respect, at times, we come to Mass, our job, or school, without much energy and enthusiasm and eagerness.  It is not that we are bad or lazy.  It is just that we are just plain tired.

How come?  For example - We carry our cell phones - everywhere we go - all the time; we want to multi task, talking to relatives and friends or clients while working, even while driving.  We drink more caffeine and energy drinks so we can stay awake longer to catch up on the pressing list of things to do. 

And what is worst - This constant running around, multi-tasking is exhausting not only our bodies, but also our souls.  Yes - We need a nap, or a vacation, certainly.  But even more, we need a word of grace from God for our weary souls to re-assure us.  Because, if we are not careful, all this running around causes us to neglect our inner lives, distracting us from the nourishment and care of our souls.  And as a result, even a good nap or even a good long vacation does not really quite heal us.

In fact - It is funny and quite ironic – and you probably can relate to this- people come back from vacation more tired than they were before they went on vacation… right?

Our readings today have a message and good news for those who are not only physically tired but especially for the weary, troubled…withered souls… pretty much - all of us.

Jesus offers us the rest we need to refresh our souls… “Come to me, all you who are heavy laden, weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”  The good news is: Jesus knows, and cares, about our weariness.  We are not alone.

When you are worn out, what you do not want to hear is someone who dismiss or make it sound like what you are feeling is not important. 

Jesus does not make us feel our weariness is less important.  He invites us to find rest in Him.  He does not accuse or blame us.  Jesus simply offers us himself, like a strong shoulder, to lean against.  He gives us permission to admit the truth--we are tired and feeling burdened. 

We have been working and living too hard, too long.  And so consequently, we have exhausted our inner lives by neglecting our spiritual life, by neglecting the primary relationships that give us peace and joy… which are our relationships with God and with one another.

 St Augustine said: "You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you."

That is why Jesus continues to invite us: “Come to me, and I will give you rest.”  It is what we all need, all of us.  We need to set aside our burdens and worries so we can sit at the feet of Christ, in the presence of a wise and loving God, and to catch our breath again… to give us opportunity to examine / re-examine our way of life and see if some of that weariness is of our own making.That is why it is very important to pray everyday… to commune with God every day. The busier we become, the more challenges we face, the more time we have to spend in prayer – every day - talking and listening to God… we need to step away from the busyness of life, to re-focus our lives on what really matters in life… to let Jesus enter deeper into our lives and to put our trust in God … who is our hope not just for the future but God is our hope for the present… Only in Christ can we find hope.

Jesus said: “My yoke is easy, my burden is light”. The image of the yoke is an image familiar to Jesus’ first century audience. A yoke allows a person or an animal to carry a huge amount of weight by distributing the weight evenly on both shoulders. 

 In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks to those “who labor and are burdened”.  As a background and to put things in perspective – to better understand why Jesus said what He said: Actually, Jesus is referring to the fact that the scribes and Pharisees had so distorted the Law of Moses that the practice of the Jewish faith had become a burden that was too difficult to carry and the religious leaders did nothing to ease the weighty burden.  (Matthew 23:4).

The religious leaders had developed many customs, false doctrines and religious practices which Jesus condemned – for example, their Sabbath Law… which they used against Jesus because Jesus healed on a Sabbath.

And so, Jesus – using the image of the yoke - was actually offering to relieve the heavy burden of the system of works that the Pharisees in His time laid on the backs of the people. And so, Jesus invites them to carry the light and easy yoke that Jesus will give them. In other words, in contrast, Jesus’ New Law of love, grace and mercy is actually liberating, freeing, light, and easy.

But you might think – Jesus’ new commandment of love – especially loving your enemy; especially His call to moral perfection and His many teachings are also not that easy to follow and can even be overwhelming.

But we have to trust that since Jesus Himself says that “my yoke is easy, and my burden light,” then we can be certain that they are…light and easy.

Why and how we can say that? - Jesus gives us His Spirit; Jesus gives us the means by which we can fulfill His commandment. When we find some moral obligation to be difficult or even overwhelming, we can rely upon the grace that God will give us to fulfill His command.

God not only calls us to the heights of holiness, He also provides us with the grace to fulfill His commandment.

To better understand – you see – instead of imagining of an animal with a yoke carrying a heavy burden all by himself – imagine this better image of a yoke - two animals side by side with a yoke over their shoulders – and they are yoked together - meaning – Jesus Himself is yoked with us – Jesus is with us - Jesus promised to shoulder our burdens with us – to carry the yoke with us, so that we in turn - could also bear the burdens of others.

Jesus said that His yoke is easy… meaning - Having Jesus at the center of our lives - as we discern the will of God for us and how to live our lives, with Christ in our life – we need to remember this: More work, more grace. In other words: The will of God will not take us where the grace of God cannot sustain us.

In other words, God’s grace is always enough for us whatever circumstances we might find ourselves in.

 On the other hand - If you feel you are so blessed… Remember: Blessings come with a mission:  in other words: if you get more grace, expect more work…much has been given to you, much is expected of you. So, put together - More work, more grace. More grace, more work. All by the grace of God… which is always enough for us.

Jesus invites all those who find life burdensome to come to him for rest.  Jesus did not promise to do away with our burdens but rather to help us carry them.

Jesus wants us to learn - with the gifts of the Holy Spirit – to have a wiser way to go about our daily activities - a wiser way to live… and so face the burdens and challenges of life - wisely.  The rest that Jesus promises is actually a joyful refreshment in the midst of the burdens of life… refreshing our soul… with peace beyond understanding.

So, my brothers and sisters in Christ- as we heard in our first reading: Rejoice heartily, rejoice heartily all you people of the Lord, Shout for joy, for our Savior has come… who is inviting us: “Come to me, all you who are heavy laden, weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”  Trust me.

And so, on that note and in that sense, I say to you my brothers and sisters: “May you all rest in peace – May you all rest in the peace of Christ, on earth as it is in heaven.”

Amen.

God bless…