My Simple Reflection: Rest In Jesus

The WORD today reminds me that I should come to and rest in Jesus.

Some say that sleep is for the weak, that it is a waste of time. Sometimes, I believe that it is true. I want to do a lot of things and I have very limited time. However, We need to sleep. We need to rest. We need to recharge.

All of us feel tired from time to time - be it from working, studying, serving, or whatever we do. It's normal to feel tired. And the gospel reminds us what to do, where we can get rest, and strength to carry on. In the gospel, Jesus invites us to come to him for us to have rest.

God can give us rest if we come to Him.

God is all powerful and can do anything. Aside from rest we get from coming to him, it can also enable us to do great things if we allow ourselves to be used by him, to be refreshed by Him.

Jesus is inviting us to come to Him because he will give us rest. He will not solve our problems right then and there. He will not make all our concerns and fears disappear. Rather, he will help us put things in perspective. He will help us feel the love of God, and that it is what matters most. He will give us the peace and the strength to go on – focusing on him and not on the world. He will help us realize that things and concerns of this world are not as important as we think they are, because everything will eventually disappear. What’s important is how we prepare for eternity with Him. He will carry our burdens and share the pain we are experiencing. Then, despite all our problems, fears and concerns, we will find rest, we will find true peace, knowing that God loves us so much and that He is always there to help us.

However, coming to Christ alone is not enough. We have to subject ourselves to Him. He is not an ATM we can get money to get by, then go our way and forget about him. When we come to him, we should do so in humility, allowing him to change us, to mold us, to make us into the persons he wants us to be, the persons we are destined to be. Then, we can find the rest and strength only He can give.

Tired? You know what to do.

How am I feeling right now? What are my problems and concerns? How do I deal with these? Do I let my problems overwhelm me and weigh me down? Or do I come to Jesus for rest and recharge? What is he telling me today?

May we be humble and submissive enough to come to Jesus, rest in him, and trust him.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for the reminder. Thank you for another Sunday. Lord, my life is very busy right now. And there is a big chance it will still get busier. Things can get tiring. Things can get stressful. And in the middle of everything, there’s a big chance I might forget you. I might forget the reason for all of these. Thank you for reminding me of what I should do when I am tired. Help me surrender to you. Help me focus on you. I ask that you refresh me so I can continue living for you. Fill me and remind me of your great love, so I can continue with strength and perspective from you. Amen.

Blessed Sunday!

In Christ,

-g-

July 05, 2020

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time; St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria

FIRST READING

Zechariah 9:9–10

Thus says the LORD:

Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion, shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem! See, your king shall come to you; a just savior is he, meek, and riding on an ass, on a colt, the foal of an ass. He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; the warrior’s bow shall be banished, and he shall proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

Psalm 145:1–2, 8–9, 10–11, 13–14 (see 1)