“The Pause That Refreshes”
The second chapter of Genesis begins with these
words:
“Thus the heavens and the earth and all their array were completed. Since
on the seventh day God was finished with the work he had been doing, he rested
on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken. So God blessed the
seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work he had
done in creation. Such is the story of the heavens and the earth at their
creation”.
Two activities are evident in this passage: God
Works; God Rests.
These are the first two activities through which God
chooses to reveal Himself to us. First, the Creator of all brings forth and
orders all creation from its primordial darkness. Then, He rests. Do you
think that God is trying to tell us something here? Do you think it’s important
to discipline our lives so that we have time to work and to rest?
Jesus looked and saw the people around Him who
suffered miserably from their day-to-day burdens and He wanted to free them; He
wanted to lighten their loads. But how could he possibly do this? In today’s
Gospel St. Matthew reveals how Jesus accomplished this. He told them, “Come to me, all you who labor and are
burdened, and I will give you rest¨. How could these words help alleviated
the misery and suffering that comes from everyday life, back then, and perhaps
more so now?
When we find our rest in Christ Himself, when we set
aside time from our busyness to spend time in God’s presence, we are renewed,
revitalized, yes, we are refreshed and recreated mentally, physically, and
spiritually. For it is in that solitude and quiet that the Creator of the
cosmos brings order and clarity, acceptance and patience, soothing and comfort
into our conscious lives, into our relationships, into the very fiber of our
beings. When we acknowledge our dependence on the Almighty we are then able to
focus on the real meaning and purpose of our lives and we are able to help
others through their valley of fatigue. It’s not magic! It’s a matter first and
foremost of God’s plan for each of our well being and then that of our own simple
spiritual maturity that leads to this inner transformation. Coming into God’s
rest enables the soul to discover God’s Will for us. It is there we surrender
our life with all its burdens, anxieties, and worries for the life God has in
store for us, “where the yoke is easy,
and the burden light”.
Enjoy the day!
Deacon Tom
Image credit: achristianpilgram.wordpress.com
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