07/07/2026
The wonderful British writer and mystic, Caryll Houselander, says that it is through the Incarnation that God fell in love with humanity.
In our Gospel Jesus thanks the Father for sending Him to reveal to “the little ones” the gift of divine love: Come to me all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you—for my yoke is easy and my burden light. The “little ones,” mostly those lacking the opportunity or advantage for study or “theological education,” have accepted Jesus’ teaching and healing. They have shared in God’s compassionate will for all humanity.
A direct result of God’s falling in love with us is joy and peace: the awareness that God’s deep desire is to fill us with a joy that the world cannot always provide us. We are painfully aware of the many instances where life has become burdensome for many, and they are “weary,” and need to be refreshed—renewed. Jesus is the one who can safely lead burdened humanity to that “rest” that comes from closeness with Him.
And so, our prayer can be that through the self-gift of Jesus and his companionship with us, God will fill us with holy joy and bestow eternal gladness on all of us.
The Jesuit theologian, Karl Rahner, says that it is more important to know Jesus than to know about Him, to wrap our arms around Jesus than to wrap our minds around him.
And so, we have an invitation: “Come to me, and you will find what you most deeply desire and need.”
Len Kraus, S.J.
