Wednesday of the Second Week of AdventIt’s mighty easy to feel the weight of the world on our shoulders as we give our best talent, energy, and “heart” to the service of those many people who need assistance in our daily ministries. We try so hard, and with great sincerity, and still we can become exhausted and discouraged. Admit it…most of us have felt the disheartening consequences of the services we try to do day after day with limited success. Today’s readings provide an insight into how to do the good we try to do without the damage to ourselves and to our clients that can result when we try to power-through the difficulties and complexities of life. In today’s first reading, the prophet Isaiah describes God’s great power in the creation and support of everything in our world. He assures us of the willingness of God to use that strength with and for us so that we can “run and not grow weary.” In the Gospel, Jesus echoes that call and offers rest for those who labor and are burdened by inviting us to share the load with Him and for Him to share the load with us--binding us together with a weight-supporting yoke. We are not being invited to sit back and let God do the work. Rather it is clear that we must still put in our best effort to do the work and use our talents and stretch our abilities and be creative—BUT—we are invited to do it in a buddy-system with God. When we team up with God in doing our job, it becomes our ministry and the winners are both those we serve and ourselves.
Sr. Mary Louise is a Daughter of Charity, an international congregation dedicated to the service of those in greatest need. Her ministries have included acute healthcare, community health, and leadership in Catholic Charities agencies in several states. She currently seeks out resources for ministries in developing countries as executive director of Daughters of Charity International Project Services, www.daughtersips.org
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