December 10
"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" - Isaiah 40:28-29
The writer of Isaiah is speaking to a people who are tired. These words are written towards the end, though the Judeans did not know that, of the Babylonian Exile. When things don’t seem to be going right, or at least our way, we naturally ask, "When will this end?" We turn inward, looking toward our internal resolve to get through this. However, the readings for today remind us where to turn.
God does not grow weary. God is our strength and hope, especially when it becomes most difficult. Yet, the Gospel reading reminds us that the burden is not God's alone but one that we share: "…my yoke is easy, and my burden light." Yokes, used to bind two animals together, spread out the weight needed to do something difficult. When confronting a situation that seems impossible, the readings today offer two things: 1) turn to God, who is infatigable, and 2) keep moving.
Michael McCarthy, Ph.D., HEC-C, Graduate Program Director Healthcare Mission Leadership, Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics and Healthcare Leadership, Loyola University Chicago
Pause
Is something weighing on you? How do you want God to work with you?
Pray
God, who is hope, shine Your light in our darkness so that we may continue to build Your kingdom. Let us be reflections of Your brilliance, always working to make Your goodness known. In Your Holy Name we pray, Amen.