Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent
(Isaiah 40:25-31; Matthew 11:28-30)
Muslims are fond of repeating the Arabic phrase, “Allahu akhbar,” throughout the day. It means “God is great” and expresses the content of the first reading from Isaiah. God is great, much greater than we are – either as individuals or as a collective. Indeed, He made us and knows all our thoughts and our every action. But he does not compete for prominence with us like an upstart athlete wanting to prove his mettle. Rather God assists us in transcending our limitations so that we might even share in His greatness.
Unfortunately, we still want to compete with God. The first woman was tempted in the garden to be “like the gods,” and many today have the same ambition. They want to determine for themselves the boundaries of righteousness. The results of such a pursuit are usually disastrous. People become stressed out and confused with restless hearts. In the gospel Jesus offers everyone a better way. He invites especially those who feel oppressed and overburdened to come to him. He will not free us from responsibility but trades his burden for ours. Where we struggle to legitimize our desire for fame, fortune, and fun; he offers his peace, hope, and love. Our own burden would prove intolerable in the long run and leads us nowhere; his leads us to what is truly good and is absolutely manageable.
