In the Gospel Jesus points out: "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit." (Mtt 7: 18) Consistent with that Jesus, who liberates, reconciles and heals, does not inflict burdens on people. his programmatic statement in the Gospel of Luke is: "... he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. he has sent me to proclaim release to captives and recoveray of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour." (Lk 4: 18-19) When he tells us, as he does today, "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Mtt 11: 30), we have to believe him. If the practise of my Catholic faith and reception of the sacraments brings me dread, anger and disquiet it is not of the Lord. The desolations of the good spirit, as described by the Jesuits, are their not to oppress us but to call us back from our sinful ways. Perhaps, if my practise of the faith leads me to feel pessimistic and upset, I need to listen more attentively to the Gospel and ignore judgemental, critical and negative voices who, behave like the lawyers Christ condemned, saying: "Woe also to you, lawyers! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not lift a finger to ease them." (Lk 11: 46)
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