Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Words of Hope and Encouragement

By Colleen O’Sullivan
Do you not know or have you not heard?  The Lord is the eternal God, creator of the ends of the earth.  He does not faint nor grow weary, and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny.  He gives strength to the fainting; for the weak he makes vigor abound.  Though young men faint and grow weary, and youths stagger and fall, They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar as with eagles’ wings; They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.  (Isaiah 40:28-31)

Jesus said to the crowds:  “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 yourselves.  For my yoke is easy and my burden light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

Piety
O Lord, may I ever put my hope and trust in you.  May my heart always be open to receive you.

Study
Here we are in the second week of Advent, Christmas not far away.  You’d think everyone would be in great spirits, but the truth is that at this time of year we often feel as discouraged as the exiles Isaiah was addressing in our first reading.  They felt forsaken, far from what had always been home.  Centuries later, we, too, sometimes feel like God has forgotten about us.  The holidays can be difficult for those who are grieving the loss of loved ones.  Holidays also have a way of putting the spotlight on family rifts.  Those without jobs worry about just putting food on the table and a roof over their family’s heads, not to mention Christmas on top of that. You can fill in the blank, but our troubles somehow seem magnified during this Christian season of hope and expectation.

The good news is that while we may feel weak and worn, our God never is.  If we put our hope in the Lord, we will receive sustenance.  Our problems will not magically vanish, but we will be given the inner strength to keep on going.  In the poetic words of the prophet, we look forward to the day when, in the Lord, we will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.

Jesus also speaks a word of encouragement to the troubled.  He doesn’t promise to take away our cares; he promises to carry them with us.  If we just come to him, he will be our companion on the journey.  We will never walk alone or have to carry our burdens by ourselves. We have a faithful God who loves us and wants to help us every step of the way.

Action
As you are praying today, reflect on and give thanks for the times in your life when Jesus has helped carry your load. 


Christ asks us to be his eyes, his hands and feet in the world today.  Look around.  I’m sure you’ll have no trouble finding someone who could use a friend right now.  If no individual comes to mind, check with your parish office.  Maybe there’s a child or a family who didn’t get adopted for Christmas.  Maybe there’s a need for food for Christmas dinners or people to deliver gifts and food to those in need.  There’s no end to the things you could do to be someone’s Christian companion.

No comments: