July 9 Come to me..

We are living in a world of stress. I do not know what stress are you right now going through, what burdens you are carrying right now. It may be a death that recently happened in your family, sickness, old age, fear of loosing Job, financial crisis, children and grandchildren not growing to your expectations. There are overwhelming list of things. We have created most advanced technologies to ease our stress. Smart phones, faster cars, gadgets, faster kitchen equipments. But do they really ease our stress? When we look at the news and television we fear about terrorism, war and violence, hatred. Some people have stopped reading news and watching television. 

Among all these stress, burdens, and bad news, today, we have just heard very relaxing words from Jesus, Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. 

Jesus has set us an example on the Cross to follow. Look at Jesus on the cross. Every part of his body is in pain, he is thirsty, he can't breath, the worst kind of suffering that human being has seen. But Jesus says in all those suffering , Lord, in to your hands God I commend my spirit.  And theologians say Jesus died as a child sleeping in the hand of a father. Yes, Jesus has set us an example. Whatever stress you have in your life, you can rest in his hands as he rested in His father's hand. 

When I was a seminarian my superior asked my two classmates and myself to wait one more year to be ordained as subdeacons. We were so angry, why he is asking us to wait, it was a humiliation for us. We thought of leaving the seminary. I shared with one of our elderly friar that I am leaving. This friar passed away when he was 41. He listened me, and said, John leave seminary within a week, but right now go to the chapel and share your pain with Jesus. I did because he asked me to do. And dear brothers and sisters I spent an hour in the chapel, that was most relaxing, I accepted the decision of my superior. I changed my mind. If not you wouldn't have seen me here. Many times we do not see the beautiful peace and rest that Jesus has prepared for us. 

When you are burdened it's not alcohol, drugs  that give you peace, it's our Jesus who gives you peace. When you are in sin, don't be depressed, Jesus is there to forgive our sins and give us rest and peace. Jesus says each one of this morning, Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Let us try to live peacefully with the peace Jesus is giving us. 

Fr. John Pozhathuparambil