Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened. I will give you rest. This is what Jesus tells us today in the midst of our Advent journey. This message is to bring us comfort in the midst of this journey as we prepare for the coming of Savior’s birth. We all know people who are burdened with a lot of things in their lives. Burdened with guilt or anger or resentment. Burdened with many things that weigh them down. Yet, Jesus also says that we should take his yoke upon our shoulders. A yoke is a wooden crosspiece that is fastened around the neck of an ox or another animal that allows it to pull a wagon or a plow. We normally don't see a yoke as comfortable or something we would willingly assume in our lives. But, Jesus tells us that his yoke is different, that it reflects the humility and meekness of his heart. Through Christ’s yoke, we will find rest.
It's hard to give up our burdens when we become accustomed to them. Even though they’re burdens, it is difficult to shed them, to get rid of them. Yet, we need to take that first step in releasing them and in assuming Christ’s yoke in our lives. This is not easy to do, that’s for sure. Yet, Christ will show us the way. We can just sit back and complain about the way we see things, about all that is weighing us down. But how can we be proactive? What can we do to get Jesus to become integrated more fully into our lives during this season of Advent, to help us to develop and grow?
I also want to say a few words about St Lucy, an important Advent Saint we celebrate today. Lucy is a martyr who is specifically mentioned by name in Eucharist Prayer #1 in the mass. She was born to a rich Roman family, but her Christian father died when she was young. Her mother wanted her to marry a rich pagan man to bring stability into their lives. Lucy instead wanted to give away her riches to the poor and commit herself to a chaste, virtuous life of faith. Lucy used to visit the Christians who were in hiding the catacombs, wearing a wreath of candles to give off light through the darkness of the catacombs, bringing food for them to eat. In the country of Sweden, the feast day of St Lucy is a national holiday where a young girl in the family wears a white gown with a wreath of candles on her head, bearing sweet rolls for the family to eat. It is said that Lucy had her eyes removed as part of her punishment before her death, but the Lord restored them. To this day, Lucy is the patron saint of the blind and those with problems with their eyesight. May we turn to the Lord for encouragement and hope, for reconciliation and healing, for forgiveness and mercy as we receive Christ in the Eucharist and as we receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation this Advent season. May the Lord continue to lead us on our Advent journey as we get ever closer to our Christmas celebration.
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