"The Gift of Peace"

[On Wednesday night, I filled in at our weekly Prayers for Healing service. Here's my short sermon ("sermonette"?).]

I recently finished reading a remarkable and moving book by the late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, who was the Archbishop of Chicago from 1982 until his death from cancer in 1996. Two weeks before his death, he finished “The Gift of Peace,” in which he described the last three years of his ministry and of his life, and he opened it with a handwritten letter to his readers:

“To paraphrase Charles Dickens in A Tale of Two Cities, ‘it has been the best of times, it has been the worst of times.’ The worst because of the humiliation, physical pain, anxiety and fear. The best because of the reconciliation, love, pastoral sensitivity and peace that have resulted from God’s grace and the support and prayers of so many people. While not denying the former, this reflection focuses on the latter, showing how, if we let him, God can write straight with crooked lines. To put it another way, this reflection is intended to help others understand how the good and the bad are always present in our human condition and, that if we ‘let go’, if we place ourselves totally in the hand of the Lord, the good will prevail.”

Cardinal Bernardin wrote about things that we should do when faced with a serious illness or difficulty. First, we must put ourselves completely in God’s hands. Never doubt that God loves us, embraces us, never abandons us. This is our source of hope in the midst of suffering and chaos. Remember

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

The yoke of Jesus is “easy” because it will be kind and gentle to our shoulders, allowing us to carry our load more easily—thus his burden is light. It is as if Jesus tells us, “Walk with me; if you let me help you the heavy burdens will seem lighter.” Jesus doesn’t promise to take our burdens away. He promises to help us carry them.