Today’s Gospel is one of the best-known, most quoted and hope-filled passages of scripture. When Jesus told His listeners that they could come to Him, it was a time when He himself had little time to spare, encountering not only those who loved Him, but also those who could not cope with His message and sought ways of silencing Him. Jesus was busy, but not too busy to welcome those who were sick and troubled, those regarded as important or considered unimportant, young people and old people. To Him, everybody is of value and worth accompanying. Jesus told the crowd that if they were to shoulder His yoke, they would find it “easy:” it would fit their shoulders. He did not mean His followers would have a trouble-free life. Jesus himself experienced opposition that would lead to the cross. He promised, however, that, with His support, nobody need find his or her burden too big to carry. That is why today’s Gospel has given comfort to so many people. We know we are not alone – and makes the difference. With Jesus alongside, we are never alone.
Parenthood is not easy, but it carries its unique joys. There is a sense of fulfilment and happiness when a child comes looking for consolation and reassurance. Even whe life seems to be filled with one problem after another, most parents do not wish away their children: they are there for their sons and daughters through thick and thin, giving countless small signs of love. “Great” parents are not those who achieve landmarks in society, but are those who, in simplicity and humility, take one step at a time, accompanying a child from her or his earliest days and through all of the bumps and scrapes along the way. Jesus did not boast of being God or of His relationship with the Father and the Holy Spirit. He was not stuffed with false pride, looking for a red carpet wherever He went. A parent does not need to boast of his or her talents and achievements to a child: children already know their own limited capabilities even while acting as though they ruled the world. Jesus was the perfect parent in His attitude towards others, but is there not also something beautiful that we can learn from our mums and dads? What can I learn, from my parents or those of others, about the reality of God’s love?