07 Dec 2011, Memorial of Saint Ambrose, bishop and doctor of the Church

Reading 1 Is 40:25-31

To whom can you liken me as an equal?
says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high
and see who has created these things:
He leads out their army and numbers them,
calling them all by name.
By his great might and the strength of his power
not one of them is missing!
Why, O Jacob, do you say,
and declare, O Israel,
"My way is hidden from the LORD,
and my right is disregarded by my God?"

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.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 8 And 10

R. (1) O bless the Lord, my soul!
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul!
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul!
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul!

Gospel Mt 11:28-30

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."

Meditation: 7 Matthew 11:28-30

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“Come to me.” (Matthew 11:28)

You’re expecting a baby, and you worry about being a good parent. You’re a senior citizen, living some­place you’d rather not and feeling useless and forgotten. Your arthritis is no joke.

You’re a stressed business pro­fessional. You seize on all the latest technology to get better connected and more efficient. But often, faced with a slew of e-mail, voicemail, texts, tweets, postings, podcasts, and “friend” requests, you feel weary.

You’ve been unemployed for nearly two years. At night you wake up and wonder, “Will we lose the house?” You made a hard decision that cost you some friends. It was the right thing to do, and you don’t regret your stand. But it’s a lonely place to be.

So many types of burdens, so much stress—we could all add our own examples to the list. So, too, could the people who first heard Jesus’ invitation in today’s Gospel. As a group, they were weighed down by the heavy yoke of religious extras imposed by the scribes and Pharisees who had made the Mosaic law an in­sufferable burden. They lived under the thumb of the Roman Empire too, and eked out a living as best they could. And as individuals, they la­bored under their own particular mix of the burdens we know only too well: sickness, fear, sin, guilt, difficult relationships, or addictions.

So take a few minutes and in your imagination join this weary, needy crowd. Picture yourself there among them with your own burdens. See the look of love on the face of Jesus as his gaze sweeps over you.

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). That’s you he is speaking to. He knows your problems and your struggles, your suffering and your stress. And he wants to give you rest and relief by drawing you into his presence. That’s the mission he was born for.

So come to Jesus often this Ad­vent. Turn off your phone, computer, and anxious thoughts. Create a quiet space where you can speak to him from the heart. Then be still—and receive the Christmas gift of himself.

“Jesus, I come to you. Let it be done to me according to your word.”