“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” (Mt 11:28-30)

Through the wonderful Colombian family that has adopted me, I have a very large extended family. One of my adopted nieces is Lina. She and her husband are both nurses. They live and work in Venice, Italy Northern Italy was the first major epicenter of the coronavirus outside of China. I remember a video message that she sent to the family in February. She had just finished her shift at work and was exhausted. Her ward had been converted to a Covid-19 ward. She just wanted to warn us, her family members, about the dangers of the virus. The stress and exhaustion were evident in her voice. That has been the experience of health care workers throughout the world. Maybe today’s gospel is for them, for they have labored and are burdened.

The photo today is the Great East Window of the Basilica of Saint Lawrence in Asheville, NC.