Deacon Tom Writes,
“The Pause That Refreshes”
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
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, 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 then we can reach out 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 one 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
Please Visit www.deaconspod.com where you will find contemporary conversations with several Paulist Deacon Affiliates and their guests exploring the treasures our Catholic faith has to offer to those on the threshold of our church… those thinking of joining our Catholic Community or walking away from it.
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OTHER RESOURCE
Recommended Reading: The Essential Writings of Christian Mysticism has been one of the bestselling religious histories of the past two decades and a mainstay for scholars, students, and others looking for a definitive, accessible history of Catholicism. A good Summer Read!
Recommended YouTube Video: Authentic Happiness and Human Flourishing Series - Week Four - In this four-week series, Dean Steve Thomason draws on resources from Martin Seligman, Berne Brown and Richard Rohr, using scientific work to explore elements of human experience that lead to authentic happiness, flourishing and deep meaning, and set all that against a backdrop of the gospel as good news, inviting all people into the fullness of life.
