My yoke is easy and my burden light

Ish 26:7-9.12.16-19, Mt. 11:28-30. Isaiah’s prayer in today's first reading is to God in whom he trusts. As in contemporary time, Isaiah has seen a great decline of faith. So, he prays: “My soul yearns for you in the night, my spirit within me earnestly seeks you.” He learned a spirituality of waiting for God, trusting in His Providence. He trusts that God will “makes smooth the path of the righteous” and can be relied upon, despite all odds. Therefore, he hopes that the darkness becomes over and like a pregnant woman his nation will soon bear a child. In Isaiah, we learn to appreciate the presence of God especially in time of need. Jesus reveals this same aspect of God in today's Gospel which ought to be memorised by us. It is, so say, the core of His theology. By His intimate relationship with us, God makes our yoke easy and our burden light. He is conscious that life can be weary and burdensome, yet does not make any false or easy promises. The yoke will remain, as will the burden, but with His help they become easy and light.

Jesus blamed the religious institution of His time for burdening people, imposing on them unnecessary demands and making the Law harder to observe. He reaches out to people who feel burdened and excluded by all sorts of harsh teaching and He promises them peace of mind. Instead of burdening their conscience, He calls them to a personal union: "Come to me… learn from me", He says. Rather than giving them more Laws, He offers a life-giving relationship. The core of our Christian faith is not a detailed, demanding moral code but intimate and deeper relationship with Jesus Christ who is our Emmanuel, God-with-us. We are called to come to Him, as He has come to us, to relate to Him in love, as He has given Himself for us in love. In coming to Him we discover Him to be, not an impersonal taskmaster, rather, someone who is gentle and humble in heart. Living our lives with Him may be demanding; walking in His way often requires saying ‘no’ to other, seemingly more attractive, ways. However, His demands are the demands of love; the path He puts before us is life-giving rather than oppressive and overburdening. His loving relationship with us and ours with Him empowers us to take that path and walk in His way.

May the Lord help us to find comfort and rest in Him, especially when we are over burdened by the pressures of life! Amen!! Stay safe and have a pleasant day!!!