by Orlando Hernandez

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourself. For my yoke is easy and my burden light.”

This Gospel leads me straight into the very heart of Jesus. It leads me to prayer. It leads me to seek Him deep within me. I hear Him call me. He is calling me softly, saying “Come to me, come to me. I am right here within your very soul. Be with me. I am reaching out to you. You are the lost sheep that I was seeking. I can feel your pain, your guilt, sorrow and fear in each one of my wounds. Come lay your burdens on my Cross.”
Then I realize that I am not alone, because He says, “come to me all of you”. I am one of many, so many tired, wounded followers and apostles throughout the centuries. I think of my Parish community. I remember all the people in the prayer groups that I belong to. All the many pleas that are made to Him. And I know that He is big enough to take into His heart every one of us, because He is our Lord and God.
There, in that Holy place we come into His rest. He embraces us. He soothes us. He heals us, as we stay with Him in the peace that intimate prayer can bring. But then He offers us a new burden. He offers us His yoke. A yoke is an implement that is placed over the shoulders of two bulls so that they can pull a burden, like a plow or a wagon, together, as a team. When I tie myself to that yoke I see Him next to me pulling with me, inviting me to be like Him, to learn from Him. What is He teaching me?
He teaches me that He is the meek and humble one. Do I want to be like Him? He is unresisting one, the non-violent one, allowing Himself to be crucified so that I may place all my burdens, all my sins, my fears, my doubts upon His Cross. He unburdens my heart. I feel the relief that comes from His touch. I rest.
Then, again I feel the yoke He places upon me, the burden of love. It can be so easy to fall in love, so unexpected. You can feel as light as a feather in the presence of your beloved, your husband, your wife, your child, your mother, your father, your dear friends, those you come to help and you fall in love with. Sometimes it can feel like such a heavy burden. Sometimes we fail at it. Sometimes we lose the ones we love. And yet the greatest gift that was given to us along with life was this opportunity to love. And so, when we don’t resist, when we let ourselves be swept by this love we feel ready to do anything for the beloved, to be Simon of Cyrene for them, to help them carry their cross, or even carry it for them.
Our hearts feel lighter, life feels easier when we are practicing good. Our God, who is the Eternal Good enables us to do this in our best moments. Please, don’t let me go.  Come Jesus, rest in me so that I may rest in you, as I strive to give my life to You and to Your people.

Orlando Hernandez