‘Come to me, all you who are weary…’

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

WHAT wonderful and consoling words of Christ! We have to keep these words always in mind especially when we encounter overwhelming problems and difficulties that would leave us with the sensation that we sinking and drowning. Christ reassures us he will take care of everything.

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest,” (Mt 11,28) Christ said, fulfilling what was prefigured in Psalm 55,22: “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you.” The same idea is echoed by St. Peter when he said: “Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” (1 Pt 5,7)

We cannot deny that everyday we can be burdened with so many things. We first of all have our own share of weaknesses and miseries, and some of them can be of the permanent type for which no human solutions seem not to be found anymore. We cannot help but feel depressed and wilted.

Then we can be shared with the problems and difficulties of the others. If we happen to be parents, friends, or especially priests who hear the confidences of people, we should be ready to be dumped with all sorts of problems that can truly weigh us down.

There are times when we encounter surprises, and our conscience would tell us to play the role of a Good Samaritan. But we find it hard and feel helpless about it. We can also be subjected to all kinds of pressures. That’s when we should just go to God and show the real state of our soul in distress.

It would be nice to be reminded of the reassuring words of Christ. We should be quick to have recourse to these words rather than to let ourselves to be led simply by our emotions and our other human powers and resources. We have to activate our faith that is clearly expressed by these words of Christ.

Christ takes care of everything. But we also have to learn to suffer which is unavoidable in our life, no matter how much we try to avoid it. We have to learn how to unite our pain and suffering, our annoyance, irritation and distress with the passion and death of Christ. That way, they become meaningful and more bearable, since we know it would be Christ more than us who would bear them.

We have to be wary of the subtle grip of pride when these difficulties and problems assault us. When we lose peace, when we feel at a total loss as to what to do, these can be signs that our pride is preventing us from going to Christ, from believing that Christ takes care of everything.

If we are humble enough to allow our faith to animate our reactions to our problems and difficulties in life, we would have no problem in finding consolation in these reassuring words of Christ: “Come to me all you who are weary and I will give you rest.”

Humility also enables us to be tough so as to know how to suffer with Christ. It would leave us in peace and even with joy when we suffer. We need to bring these reassuring words of Christ in our prayer so that they become deeply embedded in our consciousness and serve to animate our reactions when we find difficulties in life.

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com