Commentary on the Gospel of
Resting in the Lord
“Rest in Peace” or “Rest in the Lord” are phrases we use in the context of offering condolences when someone dies. We wish and pray that the dead soul may find its rest in the Lord. But, why should we wait till our death to find our “rest” in God? Why not here and now, right in the midst of our business of life? Jesus offers us precisely that. Life is hard, we are weary and burdened; yet, there is always hope for dealing with the everyday challenges of life with certain restfulness. In the eastern philosophic traditions, this is the concept of “sthitaprajña.” Roughly translated, it refers to a person who is recollected, calm, and firm, with an internal sense of liberation. Such restfulness of soul is possible when our hearts are centered in the Lord. That is what Christ invites us to do, today.
