God is with us
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.”
These words of Jesus from today’s Gospel are welcome words to hear as we head into the often-hectic Christmas season. They remind us that the purpose of Advent is to allow us to press pause and prepare our hearts for the coming of Jesus.
In his words, Jesus not only refers to the physical burdens that we carry, but also to the mental loads that we carry. This year has been hard for those of us who work for Catholic Charities. In addition to preparing for Christmas, most of us are also filled with preparations to provide for those in need during this season. The depth of the need, especially this year, can weigh heavy on our hearts, and can cause us to not just be burdened, but be heavily burdened.
However, Jesus tells us that if we take on his yoke, we will find rest. This does not mean that all the problems we see will disappear. Rather, he is inviting us into relationship with Him: a relationship in which we exchange the many yokes that we are carrying – shame, doubt, fear, control – for his yoke.
When Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you,” He is saying, “Join your life to mine, walk with me, step by step, and let me carry what you cannot.” A yoke is never carried alone. In offering us his yoke, Christ is not placing a burden on us – He is placing Himself with us.
I encourage you today to take time to reflect on the yokes you are carrying, and offer them to Jesus in exchange for his yoke. Jesus is Emmanuel, which means “God is with us,” and he wants to be near to you in this Advent season, and provide you rest.
Aimee Godfrey is the Director of Catholic Charities for the Diocese of Lansing, and the Chair of the Department for the Human Person and Life. She lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan with her family.