When the chips are down, tragedy upon tragedy surrounds us, injustice overwhelms us, our own weakness and powerlessness, fears, and feelings of inadequacies paralyze us, there stands Jesus with this familiar and consoling invitation: "Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy-burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Mt 11:38-30). Many a time in our lives we have probably resorted to this passage and found the compassion and relief we could find nowhere else.
St. Thomas Aquinas, the great thirteenth century theologian, after discussing the nature of God, creation, ethics, and sacraments, focuses on Jesus in his unfinished section three of his famous Summa Theologica. In other words, all the thinking and reasoning, the explaining and defending we can do, make no sense unless they bring us to a deeper knowledge and love of Jesus whom God the Father gave us as Lord, Savior, Brother, and Bridge to him. With hearts centered on him, even our sins don't stand in the way, for he brings forgiveness, acceptance of ourselves as we are (unfinished!) and unbounded love. "Come unto me..." The invitation stands forever. How can we not accept it?
Bro. Rene
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