Cogitata Sanctitatis

Jesus said: "Come to me, all you who labor 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."- Matthew 11 28-30

A close friend of mine wrote an entire song about this verse.  The song was called "Heaven On Earth."  The entire song was about becoming free in Christ and surrendering to God so that he may give to us HIS 'heaven on earth.'  But let's take a closer look at this passage from the Gospel of Matthew. The very first thing that strikes me is the universality of this message.  Jesus doesn't tell just his followers, or even just the Jews to come but 'all.'  Sinners and saints alike, believers and unbelievers are called to come to the Lord.  This passage gives us hope as we start our day.  The Lord invites us to give all that we are carrying and rest in him.  This for us should be the start of our conversion of heart.  Once we turn to Jesus, acknowledge humbly before him that he is our Lord and that he can take away all our fears, then we will find that we can have peace.  When we think of yoke, we tend to think of beasts of burden and the like tilling the soil.  The Lord's call to us is not to be overwhelmed, but rather to rejoice in the opportunities we have before us.  Christ's yoke is living the Catholic faith as he has demonstrated.  He tells us that he is meek and humble of heart, and so shall we also be.  As a people who struggle daily with temptation and sin, it is difficult to see how his yoke can be easy and his burden is light, but we know that salvation is the reward for us in heaven for following Christ. We cannot overcome this life on our own, but rather we depend on God to get us through the day.  It is God who carries us on his yoke to everlasting life. It has to be our choice to get on for the ride and live. 

"Good and gracious Lord, you comfort us and call us to rest in you.  Give strength to our hands and feet and voice to our lips to praise you and proclaim your goodness to the world.  Open our hearts and deliver us from temptation and sin as we ask you to carry us to salvation. Your word cannot return to you void, Lord, but rather let it find its fulfillment in us.  We ask through our Lord, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit.  One God, forever and ever.  Amen."