EASY BURDEN

Reflection for Thursday of the 15^th Week in Ordinary Time, Year A

(Is 26:7-9, 12, 16-19; Mt 11:28-30)

RESTORATION

“The way of the righteous is level; you make smooth the path of the righteous.” Isaiah offers a prayer of trust in God, who vindicates His people. According to Bible scholars, this prayer was probably made at a time when Babylon had lost its grip as a world power. The burden of exile was being lifted, and Israel had learnt her lessons. Now, they walk in the path of God’s judgments. “My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.” He called on God to restore peace and unity to Israel.

Isaiah prays to God to remember how they cried to Him in their distress, when they were in bondage. Israel was in pangs of pain like a woman in labour pains! Since God had broken the Babylonian yoke upon them, Israel shall be restored. The dead shall rise; lowly dwellers shall awake and sing for joy.  

EASY BURDEN

Jesus declared, “come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Pause a while, imagine Jesus as the meeting point of all labour and heavy laden! He is the ‘most laden’, bearing upon Himself the burden of our sins and transgressions for all generations. He laboured, and carried them to the end, and triumphed over them. In Jesus, the pain of labour and the depression of heavy laden are emptied into the new life the resurrection. That means labour and heavy laden can become sources of re-generation and re-creation.

Human life is full of burden; family life, work and business, education, relationship, etc. Sometimes, nature imposes heavy burden on us such as sickness, disasters, etc. We are laden physically, mentally and emotionally. At times, we are even a burden unto ourselves, unable to do the very things we ought to do. In whatever form it may be, Jesus has invited us to come to Him with our burden and heavy laden. So, we begin this day by meditating on how Jesus bore the very burden we fear. This is how we begin to locate our yoke in His. Then, we must connect to Him in prayer and dispose ourselves to the Sacraments. This is how His strength nourishes us.

His invitation assures us that this burden is not ours alone; Jesus has offered His shoulder to make it easy for us. Do not be discouraged; do not give up, nor allow depression and frustration get hold of you. As God broke the Babylonian yoke and Israel was restored and rejoiced, so shall you rejoice and have new life if you answer Jesus’ call to come to Him that your burden be easy.

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.

Thursday July 16^th, 2020.

Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com