Early Christians struggled as the Church had to sort out whether Gentiles had to first be Jews in order to follow Jesus. At Antioch, when some were upset by the heavy burden of Jewish observance, the apostles and elders needed to clarify the matter. By every means possible, they sent the good news: the Holy Spirit did not require circumcision of Christians, but only some basic guidelines around food and marriage.

Jesus is good news. His presence is meant to free us from whatever binds us. His yoke is easy and his burden light. His commandment is love. He calls us to be friends who can trust him, not slaves struggling to impress him or guessing at what he is trying to do. Even if we sometimes have a hard time understanding, he tells us everything he has heard from his Father. He is revealing the truth, and the truth ultimately is meant to be a delight. It is that for which we are made.

While love can be a delight, we also know that real love ultimately leads to sacrifice, and sometimes even death. This can be frightening and may not seem to make sense. When we stay rooted in friendship with Jesus, though, and trust him, he leads us through the mystery of suffering to the joy of the resurrection. Christ is always present with us, and we are never abandoned or alone. With Jesus, we overcome all obstacles as we share in his mission of love.

Sr. Jeana Visel

Jeana Visel, OSB, is a Benedictine sister of Monastery Immaculate Conception in Ferdinand, Indiana. She works at Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology and is author of Icons in the Western Church.