"Yoked to Love" By Beth DeCristofaro

"Yoked to Love"  By Beth DeCristofaro

Thursday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

The way of the just is smooth; the path of the just you make level. Yes, for your way and your judgments, O LORD, we look to you; Your name and your title are the desire of our souls. My soul yearns for you in the night, yes, my spirit within me keeps vigil for you. When your judgment dawns upon the earth, the world’s inhabitants learn justice. (Isaiah 26:8-9)

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 (Matthew 11:28-29)

Piety

Jesus, I love you.  You can do all things. 

Study

This is certainly a time of burdens.  St. Faustina’s words are a help as I read Jesus’ instruction and know in my worldly brain that a miracle will not occur tomorrow and there will be no more CoVid19.  Or that a miracle will transpire this evening and racial injustice will be solved and civil unrest will stop.  Nor will the myriad troubles besetting the poor and will end and the lion will lie down with the lamb this week.  So many times in prayer we have an end goal in sight.  Or we realize that we are not in fact turning our troubles over to God but hanging on to them as we vent or tell God about them.

In her diaries, St. Faustina wrote “When I see that the burden is beyond my strength, I do not consider or analyze it or probe into it, but I run like a child to the Heart of Jesus and say only one word to Him: ‘You can do all things.’ And then I keep silent because I know that Jesus will Himself intervene in the matter, and as for me, instead of tormenting myself, I use that time to love Him.” (No. 1033)

Letting God know of our difficulties, in our own words, is significant. God indeed wants us to turn to him.  St. Faustina gives me a channel to go farther.  She says to be silent and love Jesus.  That, indeed, calls for one to be meek and humble.  In the silence, one can listen.  If all we hear is our breath, we are hearing the life and love of God with us.  We spend time and we learn that our yoke is lightened by the God who gave us life and Jesus who raised us to life.  Their creative, merciful action within me is the Spirit, divine spark of life. Whatever comes, I choose to be yoked to divine love.

Action

Tell God your burden and then be silent.  Hear the voice of the loving Jesus taking up your yoke with you.