Are You Weary And Heavyhearted, Come To Me
Introduction
The mighty God is near to the weak. This is the message of today. To the exiles, who felt abandoned by God and who saw the power of Babylon and the supposed might of her gods, God tells through the prophet: “I am the mighty God. Rely on me and I will make you strong.”
Jesus assumes these powers to himself, and he says: “Come to me, you little, humble people who are burdened by laws in the name of religion, and I, who have become little and humble with you, will strengthen you and teach you to love; then your burdens will be light.”
1 Reading: Isaiah 40:25-31
To whom can you liken me as an equal? says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these things: He leads out their army and numbers them, calling them all by name. By his great might and the strength of his power not one of them is missing! Why, O Jacob, do you say, and declare, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God”? Do you not know or have you not heard? The LORD is the eternal God, creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint nor grow weary, and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny. He gives strength to the fainting; for the weak he makes vigour abound. Though young men faint and grow weary, and youths stagger and fall, They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength, they will soar as with eagles’ wings; They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 8 AND 10
R. (1) O bless the Lord, my soul!
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits. R.
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion. R.
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes. R.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Behold, the Lord comes to save his people;
blessed are those prepared to meet him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Matthew 11:28-30
Jesus said to the crowds: “Come to me, all you who labour and are burdened, and I will give you rest. 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.”
Commentary
There is more than one Christian paradox. One of them faces us today: Is the living of our faith easy or difficult? The truth is that it is both. To live the ethic of the Sermon on the Mount is to stumble every day. To avoid sin is more easily said than done. On the positive side, it is hard to “turn the other cheek” and “walk the extra mile.” And in the marriage relationship, it might be easier to call it quits than to work things out. Yes, there are many days when the rocky road of Christian conduct presents more than its share of obstacles.
But there is the other side of the coin. Our psychological support is unmatched. The Advocate whom the Lord has sent us is the active symbol of God’s love and unshakeable presence. Once we are convinced that we have been loved to death, all things are possible—and joyfully so. This is precisely what today’s short Gospel tells us. In effect, the Lord says that we should simply turn to him and he will give us the strength to continue. The whole message is one of comfort and consolation. Christ recognizes clearly that we carry a “yoke,” and no one is “yoked” with pleasure. To act as a Christian is frequently a “burden,” but, fear not, says the Lord, “I will give you rest.” The yoke will not seem that heavy, nor the burden unbearable. A deep faith in the Christ, who has first loved us, makes everything brighter and every day more cheerful.
I remember a paralyzed woman in Ilorin. Though confined to bed for years, she was regularly visited by ministers of communion. During these Eucharistic visits, her face radiated an incredible joy, and her conversation was as timely as it was good-spirited.
We all feel that our faith is severely tested at times. We may be bloodied but not bowed. Isaiah assures us today that as long as we run we will not grow weary, we will walk and not feel faint. There is a strong Advent message here. We never walk alone. As the psalmist says, the Lord is merciful and gracious.
Blessing
Weak as we are at times, we learn to carry our burdens when we are aware that the Lord is close to us and that we can always rely on him. May Almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!