14th Sunday of Ordinary Time

What kind of things make you tired? A long day? Maybe a late night or an early morning? A lot of playtime in a long sports game? Sometimes it feels like nothing at all can make us tired. Like sitting on a beach in the sun all day. Or a lazy Sunday afternoon in sweats. It might be really easy to think of a whole list of things that make you feel tired.

What kind of things make you feel burdened? Pressure to get good grades? Maybe from your parents, or from your friends, or maybe even only from yourself. A hard test? Maybe pressure from teammates to play well in a big game? Maybe social pressures, to dress a certain way, behave or speak a certain way. There are so many things in life that can weigh on us.

But now consider, what makes you feel rested or at peace? A really good night sleep? A day when you sit at home and do nothing? Going for a hike or a leisure bike ride? Taking a drive? Identifying what gives us rest can be much more difficult sometimes. Something that might feel restful one day might not the next week. It can be hard to know what we need to really achieve complete rest, body, mind and spirit.

Jesus tells us in the Gospel we read on Sunday.

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,

and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,

for I am meek and humble of heart;

and you will find rest for yourselves.

For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

When we feel tired or burdened, when school and sports and life are weighing on us, all we need to do is turn to Jesus. Turn to Him in the Sacraments like Mass and Reconciliation. Turn to Him in personal prayer, at the beginning and end of each day, in thanksgiving for things going well and petition for the things you need.

Starting this week, and moving forward, my challenge to you is to turn to Jesus when you feel burdened, to find rest in letting go and sharing the load with the Lord.