In Sunday's gospel Jesus invites us to shoulder his yoke and learn from him for he is gentle and humble in heart. When we hear the term, yoke, we tend to think about the yoke that is used to harness oxen together or the yoke that someone might carry on their shoulder to balance a heavy load. But the yoke that Jesus invites us to shoulder in the gospel this week is deceptively simple: love God and love your neighbour. To love God is to consciously make a place in our lives for God. The busy spin that tends to be characteristic of so many people’s lives today does not allow room for God; does not allow room for prayer and quiet; does not allow room for compassionate response to others. To love God and love our neighbour we must first make room for them. Though society views strength and power as values, our readings today remind us that Jesus tells us that the way to God lies in gentleness and humility. It’s important that we instil in our children the importance of stopping to allow time to rest, think and to renew.