Guest Post by: David Tonaszuck

A reflection on the Gospel of Matthew 11:25-30

Dear Friends in Christ,

I want to begin today by sharing a story that might sound familiar to many of us. There was a family in our parish—a mother, a father, and three young children—who, just last year, found themselves walking a path they never expected. The youngest child, only seven, was diagnosed with a chronic illness. Suddenly, life became a series of hospital visits, sleepless nights, and endless worries. The bills stacked up. The parents, already stretched thin, began to feel the weight of the world pressing down on them. Even the simplest tasks—preparing dinner, helping with homework, taking a moment to breathe—became burdens too heavy to carry.

At first, the family tried to manage everything on their own. They told themselves they had to be strong, that they couldn’t show weakness. But as weeks turned into months, exhaustion set in. Tensions ran high, patience ran low, and the joy that once filled their home seemed lost beneath the stress and fear.

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