This week’s Gospel sees Jesus giving praise to his father for revealing the truth to those who have a childlike belief rather than those who are wise and learned like the scribes and Pharisees. This childlike belief allowed followers to be open to receive and accept the Father’s revelation of the truth promising to give rest to those who labour and are burdened.

The message was revealed to those who weren’t educated and skilled in the scripture and teachings, but to those who followed the message they heard with faith and believed. It is this same faith that we as believers today have experienced the revelation of the truth. This Gospel celebrates the relationship between God and believers. When we come to the Father through faith, he will always be with us. This is God’s promise to us. This promise was revealed in the death and resurrection of his son, Jesus, and we experience the love of this promise every time we receive the Eucharist.

Jesus wants us to get to know the Father. We are encouraged to grow a deeper relationship with our creator, God the Father. When we do this, we do find rest. We can rest with the Father and with the belief that we are not alone. Even when we are amid our troubles, we are never alone. God, our father, is always there to comfort us and to give us the strength to face the challenges that are set out before us. Jesus beckons us to go to the Father, in faith, to be renewed. As believers we sometimes have no other option but to turn to our Father, like a child running to their parent for comfort.

I invite you to find some time in your day to sit quietly and reflect on those key words from the Gospel, ‘Come to me. I will give you rest’. Pause for a moment. What does that mean to you today? Sit quietly with the Father, even for a moment. Hand over your burdens to him, having faith that our heavenly Father is always walking with you every step of the way.