RBWords

     Jesus' invitation comes on the heels of his prayer in which he speaks of having a knowledge of God that no one else can offer.  It is the knowledge that only a son can have of his father.  In this case, it is the knowledge of the Son of God that Jesus can offer.  Jesus is our window on God.  This is an incredible claim and there were many who could not accept it.  Some reacted violently and eventually these enemies thought they could get rid of him at the crucifixion.  But Jesus' resurrection is the seal of approval on his invitation.  "Come to me!"

     Those who favor a more "muscular" Christianity may have difficulty with Jesus' own self-description: "meek and humble of heart.."  The invitation to "rest" sits uneasily with the revolutionary temperament!  It seems to some like an invitation to self-abasement!  Yet, this welcome invitation is the one we are hearing most often from our own Pope Francis!  The "New Evangelization" begins not with wagging fingers that scold, but open arms that embrace and invite to rest.  Once we learn about what it means to be loved by God, then we can accept what that means for our own lives and conduct.  Indeed, we may be called to action that will shake up a world that is obsessed with violence and consumption, but what we will have to offer is the same invitation.  We cannot talk about it until we have experienced it!  AMEN