FINDING REST IN JESUS - 7/14/22 (Memorial of Saint Camillus de Lellis)

Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus said: “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.”

For the full readings, click here: 

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/071422.cfm

For more information on the Optional Memorial of St. Camillus, click here:

https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/july-14---saint-camillus-de-lellis-priest/

For the examination of conscience and guide to confession, click here:

https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/examination-of-conscience/

Blessed Memorial of Saint Camillus de Lellis! Jesus Christ constantly reminds us to come to Him. He tells us that He will grant us rest. So, why are we afraid to come to Him? Why do we not go to our Lord more often? Sometimes, we are distracted by many things in our everyday lives. We may spend more time with our gadgets, browsing on the Internet and social media. Some of us spend many hours in front of TV to the point that the time for prayer becomes neglected.

And yet, it's important for us to reflect on the reasons as to why people choose other things besides our Lord. It may be that we have problems, and since we do not want to be stressed, we will just choose to be entertained and to have "happy thoughts." Still, despite turning our attention to many distractions, the problems keep coming back and the initial satisfactions just seem to be temporary. The Sacred Heart of Jesus is a meek and humble heart. He still loves us with us, and He invites us to come to Him gently and not harshly. It's because His grace alone is more than sufficient to bring peace and healing in our hearts. 

Our Lord reveals to us that His yoke is easy, and His burden is light. One reason why we may feel too burdened with our prayers or with practicing the Catholic faith is when we think that we should do all of these things alone. When we feel that we can solve all of the problems by ourselves, our life will become more difficult than it is. Instead, we are called by Jesus to imitate His humility by trusting solely in Him. He is our Merciful Savior. Let's not be ashamed to be saved by our Lord because it is what will give us true joy. St. Camillus was known for helping the sick as if he's treating Jesus in them. But, before he converted and persevered in holiness, he was a soldier and gambler. 

St. Camillus was strong in his youth, and when he became a soldier, he became addicted to gambling. And yet, when he discovered Jesus in his life, his life was radically transformed. He was always seeking our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament by always praying before the Tabernacle or in the Adoration chapels. Jesus became his strength in his ministry. The same Jesus is present in the Blessed Sacrament inside the Churches, and He dwells within us. Let's come to Him and speak to Him more often in our prayers. May we tell Him our feelings, thoughts, even our anxieties and troubles. Christ is listening to us, especially when we visit Him before the Tabernacle or by adoring Him. The real presence of Jesus is exposed in the Adoration chapel or we may also worship Him through Online Adoration on YouTube. His mercy will heal us and purify our hearts to enable us to do His will on earth. 

Amen +

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

 

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic