(Listen to this homily here).
One of my favorite activities is running. I have run competitively for many
years, starting in junior high and high school, college and even now.
There
comes a point in most every race where I want to give up. I’d like to lie down in the grass or on
a sidewalk and wait for a ride home!
Yet my best races come when, at this moment, I push through. The greatest athletes face the most
challenging moments of competition head on and push the gas pedal.
I
ran on a Christian team in college and we had a few Bible verses to motivate
us. We heard one of them today
from Isaiah: “They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength, they
will soar as with eagles’ wings; They will run and not grow weary, walk
and not grow faint.” (I had
to chuckle because the verse before these stated: “Though young men faint and grow weary, and youths stagger and fall…” I’ve staggered and fallen across the
finish line before!)
Our
bodies get tired. Whether from a
late night, early morning, exhausting work or listening to a homily, tiredness
is a reality in our lives. The
same is true for our souls, and you may be feeling exhausted today by the
busyness of the secular holiday season.
You may experience dryness in prayer, persecution in your faith or
weariness from suffering grief.
In
such moments we turn to God because, “He
does not faint nor grow weary…”
Jesus tells us, “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.”
I’ve
been preaching about taking ten minutes a day in quiet prayer this Advent
season. This is a great way to
take up Christ’s yoke. We give him
our weariness of body and soul and he replaces it with his rest, peace and
joy. The very passages of
Scripture from which we hear today can be brought into such prayer.
Continue
on the Advent path to Christmas well!
No comments:
Post a Comment