Christ the Cornerstone

Jesus opens his heart to us, asks us to find rest in him

“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 light” (Mt 11:28–30).

In these troubled times, we are invited by Jesus to turn to him and find rest for our anxious minds and hearts. “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,” he says, “and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28). Who among us does not feel life’s burdens in some way? Can anyone truly say that she or he has no worries, no fear or no anxiety?

Wealth alone cannot shield us from fear. Nor can good health, a happy home, or the love of family and friends. All of these are welcome. All are the blessings that come from God’s gifts of life, love and forgiveness. All are good things that we work hard to appreciate and protect.

But no matter how blessed we are, we remain burdened by our own selfishness and sin—and regardless of who we are or where we live, each of us is confronted with dangers that our best efforts cannot totally avoid, including natural disasters, random violence, and the ever-present threats of disease, economic hardship and war.

It’s only natural that we feel some anxiety. All of us have burdens to bear, some much more than others, and we understandably look to God, our Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier, for help. Jesus welcomes our prayers for assistance, and he encourages us to find rest in him.

Today, Friday, June 16, our Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. This important feast day calls our attention to both the humanity and the divinity of Jesus Christ. Our Lord’s description of himself—“I am meek and humble of heart” (Mt 11:29)—complements the image vividly portrayed in the four Gospels of a man whose heart overflowed with love and compassion. His heart was so full that he wept at the sight of cruelty, injustice and greed. His love was so powerful that it overcame the apparently unconquerable forces of sin and death. In his heart, there was mercy, hope and unconditional love. No wonder millions of people throughout the past two millennia have turned to him and found rest for their weary souls.

Jesus warns us that while his yoke is easy and his burden is light, there will be sacrifices required of those who follow him. A light burden is still a burden. His love is characterized by surrender and self-sacrifice. His way is one of service, discomfort and even martyrdom. The yoke that he bears is easy, but only because the grace of God makes impossible burdens light.

The love of God is what allows us to bear our burdens without being overwhelmed by them. We can proceed in the face of life’s difficulties because we know that God the Father is with us, helping us to find comfort, encouragement and rest in the Sacred Heart of his Son, Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Knowing that we are loved, comforted and supported by our triune God, we can find rest for our troubled souls.

Holy Mother Church encourages devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus because she knows how much we need his strength and compassion. In the preface for today’s Mass, we pray:

It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks, Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God, through Christ our Lord.

For raised up high on the Cross, he gave himself up for us with a wonderful love and poured out blood and water from his pierced side, the wellspring of the Church’s sacraments, so that, won over to the open heart of the Savior, all might draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

This “wonderful love” which “poured out blood and water from his pierced side” is what makes it possible for us to bear our burdens and, in the process, share his boundless love and goodness with others whose burdens seem unbearable. By his wounds, we have been healed. By the mighty power of his meekness, we have been set free.

The Holy Heart of Jesus stands before us with open arms. “Come to me,” he says, “and I will give you rest. Abide in me and your troubled hearts will be healed.”

Let’s turn to the Sacred Heart of Jesus whenever we are overwhelmed by sorrow and fear. His yoke is easy, and his burden is light. †