“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened and I will give you rest.” On Tuesday, I read and thought about those words from Jesus as I sat in a waiting area at the Brockton Hospital.
From my corner seat, I could see patients and loved ones, doctors and nurses, and technicians passing by. Some walked by with confidence and others like me with hesitation, not knowing the outcome of the day’s visit, and still others also needed the use of a cane or to be assisted in a wheelchair.
What I learned from talking to both the people who work at the hospital and those who are accompanying loved ones or those there for examination or treatment is that everyone has something that falls under a labor or burden in their lives.
The Man Upstairs
For many it was an illness or malfunctioning organ system or joint problem, but along with it both healthcare professionals and patients also bring burdens when it comes to relationships both past and present.
One of the great nurses who took care of my Dad, said something that tied into today’s first reading. He spoke of God as “the man upstairs,” a phrase I hadn’t heard in a long time.
In the past, whenever someone used that way of referring to God, it was in acknowledgement of God’s all-powerfulness and presence in heaven. But by calling God “the man upstairs” there’s also a distance and a lack of intimacy of relationship.
A Personal Introduction
Moses in his dialogue with God, in learning about his mission, wants to know how to refer to God by name…just like you or I feel a greater connection when we introduce ourselves and learn another’s name, Moses wanted to establish that connection between those he would communicate God’s message to….
And it’s then that God says, tell them, “I AM sent me--to--you.” God goes on to connect--that I AM--is the same Lord of their fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
God--by revealing His Name and identity as the God of their fathers is trying to help Moses and the people of their time, bridge the supernatural reality of our relationship with Him.
The Power of a Name
We Catholic Christians can take it for granted that we know the Name of Jesus and that He has told us to call God our Father. In fact, we can become so matter of fact of in knowing God’s Name that sadly at times people fall into taking the Lord’s Name in vain, at times due to habit but perhaps because of the loss of personal connection to God.
My brothers and sisters, we must never lose sight of the great love that God has for us and the power of His Name to bring about healing and peace and love. In the case of Moses, God shared his care for the Israelites and his plan to lead them to safety out of Egypt and to a land flowing with milk and honey.
Not So Distant
Going back the nurse who referred to God as the man upstairs, there was a desire to lead others to Him through me…as he would bring patients in and out from my waiting area, he reassured them saying, “Father, over there is praying, and that’s a good thing for all of us.”
Most people looked surprised and then smiled, one man said, God bless you and thank you.
Each of us in our own ways, needs to hear Jesus’ words, “Come to me you who labor and are burdened and I will give you rest.” And each of us in hearing and reflecting on the identity and mission of Jesus knows--that God is not simply the distant man upstairs but the One who sent His Son to redeem and save us, Jesus, who is with us now and always
- Father David's inspirational homily was recorded live during Mass at the Father Peyton Center this morning. You can view the Mass (and the Rosary at the 30-minute mark) on the Family Rosary YouTube page.
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