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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

To be fruitful is painful!

God's first commandment is to be fruitful and multiply.[Gen.1.28]. When we reflect on child birth, we know it is painful to be fruitful. Every conception leads to fruition. In the case of birth, the seed of life the women conceives has to be delivered. Her body prepares for this event by dilating painfully beyond what is visibly possible. But at the end the reality of a new born child turns this pain into inexplicable joy. Jesus on the cross gave himself to his bride and continues to give himself in the Eucharist. His body and ours unite in a one flesh union leading to a similar fruitfulness. Our bodies must expand; stretch beyond what seems visibly possible, to be fruitful. When we co-operate with the plan of God, just as Mary did, just as the church does, we too will glorify God and his Joy shall be full. This pain is the unconditional sweet pain we suffer for the other. Just as Christ washed his bride clean by his own blood before he embraced her in an eternal nuptial bond,