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14 OT

As we gather together on this 4th of July holiday weekend let us rejoice in the freedom Jesus offers us from our heavy burdens.  We hear our Lord’s comforting words, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.”  Let those words wash over us and all the responsibilities we have, all the stresses we’re under, and all the failures that haunt us.  “My yoke is easy,” Jesus assures us, “my burden light.” 

Yokes are not very common today, but in the days before tractors and power machinery, strong animals had to pull farm equipment across the field.  To drag the plow through heavy soil and keep it headed in a straight line, animals usually worked in pairs attached with a yoke.  The animals walked at a sustainable pace, supporting each other when one tired or encountered an obstacle.  With a yoke, each animal needed to do only half the work.  Jesus offers us similar support.  By sharing in our hardships, he lightens our burden and gives us some rest.  We are not going it alone. 

We have some responsibility in having our burden eased.  We need to stand up and take the yoke.  “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.”  We need to turn to the Lord and we need to listen and learn.  We need to ask what the Lord is calling us to do and be willing to accept that.  In doing so we will realize that Jesus will always be there to help us.  The real celebration is not fireworks on the 4th of July, but the light of Christ shining through us to bring freedom and justice to our world. 

Love, Peace, Joy

Fr. Bob

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