A Message from Fr. Brian

In celebrating the 4th of July, we probably saw a lot of images of the Statue of Liberty. On that statue are inscribed the very memorable words written by Emma Lazarus: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless tempest-tossed to me."

Today's readings, especially the Gospel, give the same message in a more powerful way: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest." Come to me all you who are working hard but can't seem to fully get your head above water. Come to me all you who are burdened with anxieties of family life, finances, age or health. Come to me all you who are weighed down by sorrows, who are going through life with heavy hearts because you've lost a loved one or are worried about the health of someone close to you.

Think about what Jesus is saying: All of you who have problems with human life – every single one of you – come to me, and I will refresh you, I will bring you back to life.

Any takers? Does anyone here at OLS need Jesus' help to bear heavy burdens? I know I do and I'm sure I'm not alone. But Jesus doesn't pledge to simply take away our burdens. Instead, He does something even more incredible. He promises to help us carry them. He says, *"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."

Take my yoke upon you.* Remember the old movies about early settlers? They took all their possessions and moved westward in covered wagons. Two oxen pulled the wagon. A wooden crossbar with a U-shaped yoke encircled the neck of each ox. The yokes were attached to a pole from the wagon, allowing the oxen to pull the wagon.

Now, two things about a yoke. First, they were custom made for each ox. They were carved of solid wood, form fitted so well that the yoke wouldn't rub sores on the ox's shoulders. There's a legend that, in His carpenter's workshop, the young Jesus of Nazareth specialized in making these yokes. It was a tricky business, because the wood had to be crafted just right. If the yoke was too tight, it would dig into the animals, choking them. The legend has it that the yokes Jesus made were always perfect; they were made to fit easily, making the burden seem light.

Second, the yokes allow two animals to pull together. Work is shared, and when the day is done, the oxen are tired, but they aren't exhausted. Whether the legend is true, Jesus invites each of us to receive the yoke that He Himself has made, which means carrying our burdens not by ourselves, but with His help.

There's the great, true story from Boys Town when in 1921 a crippled boy with leg braces had difficulty walking. Other boys would take turns giving him a ride on their backs. A photographer saw the scene and snapped a photo that became famous. When the boy carrying his lame friend was asked whether he was heavy, he replied, "He ain't heavy; he's my brother."

That's what Jesus is talking about in the Gospel. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, bears each of us, His lost sheep, on His shoulders, and doesn't complain about the weight, for, to Him, we're not heavy, we're His brothers and sisters.

Next time you think that life is too hard, too much of a struggle, too challenging, remember that you are yoked to Jesus. And, His yoke is easy, His burden is light.

Summer Blessings,