The Dwelling Place of Strength

Voice over by Carol San San Lwin

Isa 40:25-31; Psalm: 102; Mt 11:28-30

Our Lady of Loreto

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, on this Memorial of Our Lady of Loreto, we celebrate the Holy House of Nazareth, the simple dwelling where the Word became flesh. Today’s scriptures reveal the breathtaking truth that the same God who sustains the cosmos with infinite power chose to make His home in a virgin’s womb, and now offers to make His home in our weary hearts.

The Prophet Isaiah directs our gaze to the starry heavens, asking, “To whom can you liken me as an equal?” The Creator of the universe “does not faint nor grow weary.” His wisdom is beyond scrutiny. This is the God of overwhelming, transcendent power. Yet, this same God does not remain at a distance. His power is directed toward the weak and the waiting. “He gives strength to the fainting; for the weak, he makes vigor abound.” For those who trust in Him, He becomes an inexhaustible source of energy: “They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.” The limitless God pours His own strength into limited humanity.

This divine condescension finds its ultimate expression in the Gospel. Jesus, the eternal Word through whom the stars were made, stands before us and speaks not a command, but an invitation. “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” He does not deny our exhaustion; He addresses it. He offers to shoulder our burdens with us. He then reveals the stunning nature of His kingship: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.” The yoke, a symbol of submission and labor, is transformed into a bond of love and partnership. In Him, the mighty God and the gentle Shepherd are one.

This is the profound mystery we contemplate in the Holy House of Loreto. The God whom the heavens cannot contain confined Himself to a small, earthly dwelling in the womb of Mary and the home in Nazareth. As Pope Francis has reflected, “The Lord always chooses the little ones to do great things.” Mary, the New Ark of the Covenant, became the perfect dwelling of God because of her humble faith. Her “yes” was the perfect acceptance of His gentle yoke.

The comfort for us is immeasurable. Our weariness, our spiritual exhaustion, is not a sign of God’s absence but an invitation to experience His presence. He does not ask us to muster strength on our own, but to come to Him and receive it as a gift. The challenge is to imitate the humility of Our Lady of Loreto and the meekness of Christ. We must consent to be a dwelling place for God, allowing Him to enter the messy, cramped spaces of our lives to bring His order and peace.

As St. Augustine prayed, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” Our rest is found in the yoke of Christ, and our strength is found in His humility.

Let us ask for the intercession of Our Lady of Loreto. May she, who welcomed the Almighty into her humble home, help us to open our hearts to her Son. May we find in His gentle yoke the true rest for our souls and the everlasting strength to run the race set before us, never growing weary, for the Lord is our eternal hope. Amen.