– it is the Lord who speaks –
to break unjust fetters and
undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and break every yoke,
to share your bread with the hungry,
and shelter the homeless poor,
Years ago, when I was working full time, my family would go to dinner. It was my job to pay the bill, because I was financially in a better possession to pay the bill. I loved doing it because God has been generous to me, and it seems only natural to pass it along to those I love.
Lent is a time to break yokes and also a time to journey with others in our family to eat and help them break the jokes that they carry. The thing that strikes me more is the idea of breaking a yoke. Sin is a yoke but also is mental illness, physical illness and countless medical issues we encounter in life. Lent is a journey and the whole purpose is to bring us closer to God.
Like anything we need to start off small. Myself and on occasion, I sometimes use the Lord’s name in vain. I am quick to lose my temper with my spouse. I am clueless at times to the feelings of others. I try not to be, but I am sometimes judgmental of others.
It is okay to judge me now. Like all of us, I am a sinner and a work-in-progress Child of God. To take this journey we need to start out small. As we overcome the small yokes, we discover other things that prevent us from our goal which is to do better as a Child of God.
One of my relatives who is an ex-wife. She was married for 17 years to her abusive ex-husband for the sake of her children. Today she is bitter and resentful and still afraid of him. This was clearly a non-sacramental marriage.
God does not approve of an abusive relationship. This is not God’s will and anyone who says that it is a liar. My point is that this period of hurt, and abuse is in the past.
It does not define her life.
This Lent and today is a time to free yourself of the past. God has already gotten you through it. You are much better than that. The past is a hard yoke to break but the here and now of our lives is full of hope and freedom from the hurt and pain of the past.
Yes, this Lent is a time to celebrate with the fish fry at Church today. It is also time to break the yoke of small things and then as we succeed with those small things the big things are possible. It is time to go beyond our fears. It a time to clean house rid ourselves of the yokes small or big that hold us back.
God Love You Always
Bob Burford
PS: Please Pray for Cancer victims and their caregivers. Pray for the conversion of Russia and the salvation of the Ukrainian and Russian people and their soldiers. Pray for the Holy Land. Pray for peace!
