Holiday Burdens

Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent


Gospel of Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus said to the crowds: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Holiday Stress  I don't know about you, but I feel stressed out around the holidays.  Christmas parties, gift shopping, holiday decorating, sending out Christmas cards, family get-togethers, and even figuring out which charity to donate to can be too much. This year is particularly burdensome because of the bad weather.  Some gifts I've ordered are delayed, and I haven't been able to attend  holiday events.  I feel tired, lethargic, and achy all over from the bitter cold.  I'm a Texas gal used to sunshine and heat not ice and freeze!

Holiday burdens can sometimes make us grumpy and irritable. We may have annoying in-laws staying at our homes.  We may realize our budget is over-extended by the pricey electronic gadgets we bought the kids.  We may even experience depression and grief at the loss of a loved one.

Christmas should be a time of joy and not a time of overwhelm. Allow Christ's meekness and humility relieve our burdens and bring light to the darkness.

Find Rest   Allowing our bodies to rest and relax is something so foreign in our American society.  Go, go, go is the mantra!  Let's head over to Starbucks for a cup of joe and then stop by the gas station for a 5 Hour Energy shot.  Stay caffeinated!  Stay on that sugar high!  We've got so much shopping to do, people to see, work to do, children to feed, etc. etc. etc.  Whoa!  This Advent Season is a time to slow down, reflect, and most importantly, rest.   Allow the Lord to remove the burdens from our hearts so we can unwind.  

Learn from the Lord   Christ gives us a yoke to help carry along our burdens.  Are we willing to accept his help?  Are we willing to learn how to better ourselves so we are not so anxious and worried?  I think it would be a great idea to spend time with Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.  Ask God to lift away our holiday anxieties and help us re-focus on the real reason for the season:  The Birth of the Christ Child!  

-J.