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Yoked to Jesus

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“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 gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” †  Mathew 11: 28-30  What is the labour and burden that Jesus is asking me to deal with? Perhaps I have to let go of the compulsive burden (or is it a sort of entitlement?) that my spouse and children should choose a spiritual path that I know to be right. Jesus accompanied Judas Iscariot to the very end but never deprived him of his freedom to choose his own destiny. Jesus on the other hand, uninterrupted by Judas's choice to reject him, continues to accomplish his mission. He does become a victim of Judas's betrayal but he seldom takes on the victim's identity. In divine wisdom, Jesus chooses to die in our place (and that of Judas) in a redeeming act of love. Rather than being compelled to fix those whom God has entrusted to my headship by m

Cup of water

Jesus said "whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me". In another situation He said "a cup of water given to the other in my name will not go unrewarded". My doing and giving should be independent of what I intend receive from that act.  Every good deed done is duly acknowledged by God. But better is when I render a good deed to the other, purely because he or she belongs to Christ , just as I'm one. I may do a good deed for the kick it offers. A good yard stick to gauge my motive is to check on my response when a deed is misunderstood and reciprocated with total ingratitude. Irritation is easy to come by if my intention is not independent of the feel good it offers. The expression "give happily" assumes new meaning in this context. My happiness and consolation is not to be derived directly from what I have done but purely from the joy of having served Christ in my neighbor. This is probably why Mother Te