“Come to me, all who labour
and are heavy laden”
We live in one of the most materially wealthy nations in the world and yet the statistics show that depression, anxiety, loneliness and distress are widespread. People carry mental, psychological and spiritual burdens of all sorts.
The readings today offer us an antidote to all this. Jesus himself says, “Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gently and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
In the first reading, the prophet Zechariah comforts the people. Alexander the Great conquered Judah in 333 BC and then Judah had been enslaved for a very long time. The prophet began by announcing that the Lord would conquer Judah’s foes and liberate Judah. Then, he described Judah’s new king who would rule them in peace and prosperity.
In those days, the king rode a horse during wartime but used a donkey in times of peace.
And the psalm also assures us that, “The Lord is kind and full of compassion,” and that, “The Lord supports all who fall, and raises all who are bowed down.” But the question is, how do we make these promises and assurances become realities in our lives?
For me the scriptures today offer some very precise answers. First of all, Jesus says, “Come to me.” What do we have to do to come to Jesus? First of all, we come to him in prayer. We talk to him about our lives. And then we commit to Mass and the Sacraments, especially Confession.
St Paul’s Letter to the Romans also offers us a great way to lay down our burdens. St Paul speaks about being “in the flesh” or “in the Spirit.” What does he mean? He is warning us that we need to have God’s Holy Spirit at work in us. If we are honest, we are too often living “in the flesh”: in other words, we are caught up in the passing things of this world which should not be our priorities.
The prophet says that a peaceful king is coming. The psalmist speaks of a loving Lord who supports us. Jesus says, “Come to me.” We need to do our bit but he will certainly do his bit.
God bless, Fr Kevin.
