My husband and I attended Sunday Mass at Our Lady of Sorrows Monastery this past Sunday. It is the home of the Franciscan Sisters, TOR. They do not always have a Sunday mass as they do not have a resident priest. Whenever there is a Sunday service, we try to attend. The Father of Mercy Chapel is a beautifully peaceful place, the sisters are very talented musicians, and we always feel welcomed and rested when we are there.
They have had a Sunday mass for the last two weeks, and we have been in attendance at both. Each week, there has been a beautiful family in attending. They have 6 children ranging from teenagers to toddlers. They are an inspiring example of love and a witness to the importance of families and faith.
Fr. Tim Shannon was the celebrant at last week’s Mass. I always love his homilies because he shares a story about his life, growing up in northern Ohio, and makes you feel like you are there in that moment with him. Last week, he spoke about the shepherd and the sheep, how the sheep know the shepherd, and how the sheep trust and feel safe with the shepherd. And he tied that directly to his life and experience growing up. It was a beautiful sermon, and Fr. Tim is a wonderful storyteller.
As Father was preaching, the family in the pew ahead of us settled in to listen to his words. The youngest child, who is probably not more than 3 years old, climbed up into his father’s lap. He wrapped his arms around his dad’s neck and lay his little blonde head on his dad’s shoulder. He was quiet and still, nuzzling his face into his father’s neck as his eyes grew heavy. He then fell asleep on his father’s chest. His little arms went limp as he drifted into a deep slumber. He stayed peacefully asleep for the remainder of the Mass, completely oblivious to everything and everyone else around him.
That is what real rest looks like. Knowing that peace, being that comfortable, and having the security of a father’s love, wow! Nothing disturbed him, not movement, not touch, not singing, nothing. He was still, quiet, completely surrendered because he knew he was safe. He knew he was loved. He knew his dad would protect him, take care of him, not let anything happen to him. (Kind of like the sheep and shepherd). He knew he could rest because he trusted and knew the love of a father. Just watching him sleep gave me a peace that seemed surreal.
But it also made me realize that we can have that too. If we want it. God, our heavenly Father, wants to give that to us, but we won’t ask for it. Maybe it’s because we don’t think we deserve it, or we think we can handle everything on our own. Or maybe it’s because we don’t believe that this kind of rest is possible. And it’s not just the physical rest, that break from the craziness of your life, that brief moment of relaxation, or that nap on a Sunday afternoon while it rains. It’s the spiritual rest that dispels confusion, removes worry, eliminates fear, and alleviates stress. Resting in the Lord, spiritual rest, leads to physical rest. Spiritual rest leads to emotional rest. It brings joy and peace, and contentment. It removes fear and doubt, and worry.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28
So today, be like the little boy in church, and surrender to the kind of rest that only God can provide. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28. And today, please pray for me, and I will continue to pray for you.
Tattoos, Motorcycles, Beer, Bourbon and Faith 