Rest In Jesus

𝐌𝐀𝐘 𝟏, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔: 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓𝐇 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊 𝐎𝐅 𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝟏: 𝐀𝐜 𝟏𝟑:𝟐𝟔-𝟑𝟑

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦: 𝐏𝐬𝐚 𝟐:𝟔-𝟏𝟏𝐚𝐛 “𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐒𝐨𝐧, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮.”

𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋: 𝐉𝐍 𝟏𝟒:𝟏-𝟔

𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞: “𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐝;” (𝐯.𝟏) 

There are many countries in the world today where all classes of laborers are celebrating this annual feast to honor the toil of their labor. It is also a celebration of victory for those who have been released from the shackles of injustice and in memory of those who continue to suffer from unsafe working conditions, unfair wages and irrational and at times inhuman working hours.

The Catholic Social Teaching or CST holds that work is more than a way to make a living. It is a form of continuing participation in God’s creation with regards to human dignity. Work exists for the human person and not the person for work.

Thus, today’s celebration of Labor Day is in keeping with Biblical principles beginning from Genesis and clearly cited in both the Old and New Testament. Work or Labor is referred to in the Scriptures as a God-ordained activity – the result of the fall, and a means of serving God – by working diligently, providing for one’s family and, the necessity of rest which is the Day of the Sabbath.

And to better understand this Gospel passage today, it would help if you took time to go back and read at least the preceding Chapters 12 and 13 because these will provide you with the reason why the disciples of Jesus appeared troubled and bewildered at this point.

            In these two chapters you will see that Jesus not only predicted his suffering and death on the cross that will be precipitated by the betrayal of one of his trusted disciples and highlighted by the surprising denial of Peter who had vowed to lay down his life for Jesus (Jn 13:37).

            Wouldn’t you too be troubled and confused if the person whom you have been following around for three years will tell you he is going to leave you, and you don’t even know where he is going.

What about the work he has religiously labored for three years leading to the creation of the ministry that he has established? Will it all be for naught? What now?

            These are probably some of the questions running through the minds of the disciples when Jesus seemed to be bidding them adieu and so he implores them not to be troubled (𝐯.𝟏) as he assures them: “𝐈𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐬; 𝐢𝐟 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐨, 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐠𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮? 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐠𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨.” (𝐯𝐯.𝟐-𝟑)

            But Jesus also laid down the parameters that we all need to follow if we are to go where he would go and that is to believe in God and believe also in him (𝐯.𝟏).

This is in fact the underlying message of this Gospel today that in times of trouble and when our world seemed like it is going to collapse, when everything in our life is not progressing as we planned it to be, when our human will can no longer respond to the challenges of the world, the only recourse we have is to believe in God and to believe in Jesus.

            In our lifetime, there is a time and there will be times when we find that we are incapable of meeting the trials that come our way and of understanding the difficult circumstances in our lives and it is in these times when belief and faith in God through Jesus will bring in comfort and peace.

            What we all must bear in mind is that we should not allow our troubles to rob us of God's peace. Inevitably, we will all encounter trouble and difficulties and some of these will be hard to endure. But when we find that there is a purpose for these dark hours and moments in our lives it is then when even the unbearable becomes bearable especially when we know that Jesus will never leave us as orphans (Jn 14:18).

            There are two choices we can make when trials and tribulations come. We can give in to our human tendencies and lose hope and be discouraged or, we can choose to remain close to God encouraged by his promise: "𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐠𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮; 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮; 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐝" (𝐃𝐞𝐮𝐭 𝟑𝟏:𝟖).

            What we should always keep in our minds and hearts is the fact that God Himself led the Israelites out of the wilderness and into the promised land and in this Gospel today Jesus is also telling us that that he is going ahead to prepare a place for us in God's house and he will return and take us with him so that we may be with him forever (𝐯𝐯.𝟐-𝟑).

            The beauty of the New Testament Scriptures is the realization that we are not and are never alone to face life’s challenges because Jesus always goes ahead of us and leads us to follow. He opens and shows us the way for us to follow in His footsteps and if we will only grasp the depth and meaning of the Gospel we will come to grips of where and what our final destination will be – a place of refuge, peace, and security, and everlasting happiness.

            “𝐈𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐬;” (𝐯.𝟐) which could only mean that heaven is not and will never be crowded or filled as there will be plenty of room for everyone who will believe in God and in His Son Jesus Christ.

            But like Thomas, who asked"𝐰𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧?" (𝐯.𝟓) we at times are unsure of where we are going. The first time I went to the United States was in 1982 and back then I had a map to guide me to where I was going, and it was so difficult looking at the map while driving at the same time.

When I visited the US again in 2010 and rented a car in Los Angeles, I was surprised to find that cars nowadays are already equipped with a GPS (Global Positioning System) gadget that gives you the direction by just pressing the address of the place you are going to.

            Today, Jesus is our GPS and we are blessed that in our journey of faith we have Jesus who leads us and shows us the Way to His Father’s house.

We should be grateful that He speaks to us through the Words of the Holy Gospel that illumine our minds and hearts of the Truth we need to know that we are not swayed to believe in the lies and deception of this world.

And we are thoroughly blessed that he came in love to save us from our sins to show us what Life lived out in love really means. Remember too that we work to live, not live to work. This translates to the work of our hands as a means to enjoy a fulfilling life and not treat employment as the central purpose of our existence.

            Let us thus raise our hearts to Our Lord Jesus and thank Him for giving us the joy of His saving presence, the hope of everlasting life, and the opportunity to labor for our own salvation. Faith after all is about work, to toil everyday so that the fruits of our labor will be like incense that will please the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.   (𝘌𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺 - 𝘔𝘢𝘺 1, 2026)