My Burden Is Light: Suffering and Consolation in the Christian Life

“Come to me, all you that labour, and are burdened, and I will refresh you. Take up my yoke upon you, and learn of me, because I am meek, and humble of heart: and you shall find rest to your souls. For my yoke is sweet and my burden light.” Matthew 11:28–30 Christ’s words ring true for this earthly life that we must endure in order to, hopefully, attain eternal rest with Him in heaven. Our fallen world is full of sufferings and struggles; from the everyday aggravations to the life-altering sorrows that we sometimes face. Yet, Christ assures us that His “yoke is sweet and [His] burden light.” This is so because He always helps us carry our crosses throughout this life and because the ultimate battle is already won, thanks to Christ’s love for us. Yet we must remain vigilant. Saint John of Avila, the 34th Doctor of the Church, gave numerous sermons on this subject, in which he offers the consolation of Christ’s own example and that of saints, like St. Francis of Assisi. St. John never failed to instruct, edify, and challenge those who listened attentively to his sermons. Within these sermons, we too can find renewed strength as we embrace the redemptive suffering of this life and hope for the beatific vision in the next. Published for the first time in English, this carefully translated work of St. John’s selected sermons will be a great spiritual aid to any soul along his path to holiness.