Are you getting enough rest in your life?

Every pastor, preacher, religion teacher, and religious writer can expect the occasional review. What homilist hasn’t gotten feedback on the message, or a critique of the experience the listeners are having out in the cheap seats?

Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer: “Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. You’ve concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people. Yes, Father, that’s the way you like to work.”

I have a problem: I struggle to rest. Some people don’t get to rest—because they have too much work and too many personal responsibilities. That’s often the case with me, too, but even when I know I should take time to rest, or am simply blessed with the opportunity, I have a hard time doing so.

Merciful God, we turn to you in the hope that we may better praise, bless, and give you thanks.

Let us . . . acquire that meekness of him who said, "Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart," so that he may teach us his ways and cause us to rest in the kingdom of heaven.