Homily: Thursday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time - Rest & Restlessness

“Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine” Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.  Those words are prayed three times in the funeral rites of the Church, first at the wake, in the vigil prayers, secondly, as the entrance antiphon of the funeral Mass, the requiem Mass, finally, they are among the final prayers at the cemetery, when the remains are laid to rest.

It is one of the most beautiful and powerful of the Church’s funeral prayers, and finds its roots in the words of Jesus, which we heard in the Gospel today, “Come to me…and I will give you rest.” 

For a Jew, entering into God’s "rest" meant finally coming to the peace of the promised land, the fulfillment of the Jewish people's greatest aspirations.  Jesus promises this ultimate fulfillment to all who come to him and learn from him. 

Yet, the invitation to a personal relationship with Jesus is more than a promise of everlasting repose in the life to come.  It is also a promise of inner peace in this life.   Knowing, loving, following Jesus brings peace that the world cannot give, peace that quiets the mind and heart.  Of course, the followers of Jesus will continue to experience frustrations, trials, and sufferings, but these burdens become lighter and more bearable with the Lord’s help.

Yet, as St. Augustine said: “Our hearts are restless, O Lord until they rest in Thee.”  When we try to satisfy our deepest longings in worldly things, we will end up increasingly frustrated and exhausted.  Purely worldly pursuits, though they may bring some temporary stimulation, result in weariness and fatigue of spirit.    

Sometimes, life becomes so busy that we claim that we don’t have enough time for prayer and meditation and contemplation.  Yet that is precisely when we need it the most.  Many times throughout the day, particularly in busy and frustrating times, we need to come to him in prayer, to unite our pursuits to Him.

True peace never comes in evading the Lord, ignoring prayer, avoiding our Christian duties.  As the Psalmist says, “Only in you is my soul at rest”.

Amidst the difficulties of life, we have a fountain of life and rest which never runs dry.  May the Lord use us today, to bring the weary and burdened to Him for the glory of God and salvation of souls.