Carmelite homily for Wednesday, December 11, 2019 – Lectionary 183
In today’s Gospel we have words of great comfort. Jesus says, “Come to me all who labor and are burdened and I will give you rest. For my yoke is easy; my burden is light.” Who doesn’t want that? But between those two parts is the key where he says, “Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.” Ahhh, I don’t know if we want that – that meekness thing, that humble thing? No. But that’s the key. As Teresa of Avila says, “May the Lord be praised who freed me from myself.” We’re trapped by our pride; we’re trapped by our appetites; we’re trapped so many times. Enslaved by these. It’s when we are freed and we learn to be meek and humble of heart, then the yoke is easy and the burden is light.