CHAPTER 14 – CARRY EACH OTHER’S BURDENS
“Even though he has possession of the unsavory world, he should not love its treasures. Let him cultivate and share the fruits of the earth. He should not be cruel since that will not bring him to bright heaven.” -From the Monastic Rule of St. Ailbe
“Blessed is the servant who loves his brother as much when he is sick and useless as when he is well and can be of service to him. And blessed is he who loves his brother as well when he is far off as when he is by his side, and who would say nothing behind his back he might not, in love, say before his face.” -St. Francis of Assisi
“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” -Mother Teresa
The Coworkers of Christ are not merely colleagues under a Common Rule. We are a family, a family bound not by blood or circumstance, but by a shared love for God and a deliberate choice to walk this path together. This choice carries immense responsibility, but within the greater Church family, it also carries a profound privilege: the privilege of supporting one another on life’s journey.
Throughout our lives as Coworkers of Christ, we offer unwavering support to one another. This support takes many forms. Through heartfelt prayer, we lift each other before God’s grace. Kind acts become expressions of our love, offering comfort in sorrow and joyful celebration in triumphs. Tears and laughter flow freely, reflecting the depth of our shared experiences.
Actively seeking ways to lighten burdens, we share responsibilities, offer a listening ear, and celebrate victories together, making each other’s journeys a little easier. This support isn’t a solitary burden; we sacrifice where necessary to help one another transform challenges into stepping stones for growth. When joy abounds, we amplify it, making their triumphs even more magnificent.
However, our journey together isn’t without stumbles. When a companion falls short, we respond with love and understanding, mindful of our own vulnerabilities. With patience and honest compassion, guided by prayer, we offer guidance and support. Spiritual directors, equipped with wisdom and experience, provide additional support through confession and counsel. Our ultimate goal is never to judge, but to share the burden of our common humanity, just as Christ bore our sins on the cross.
We are all mature individuals with our own struggles and emotions. While we can offer unwavering support, we cannot prevent someone’s mistakes or eliminate their pain. Ultimately, each person is responsible for their own growth. Yet, a vital part of our calling is to walk beside our companions, offering a helping hand, sharing their struggles, and making their burdens a little lighter.
- Scriptural Support
We exhort you, brethren, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 1 Thes. 5:14 (RSV)
We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves; let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to edify him. Rom. 15:1,2 (RSV)
If you see the ass of one who hates you lying under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it, you shall help him to lift it up. Ex. 23:5 (RSV)
Is this not the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of wickedness,
to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke? Is. 58:6 (RSV)
If someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently but watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Gal. 6:1,2 (NIV)
My brothers, if any one among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. James 5:19,20 (RSV)
[Jesus] himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. 1 Peter 2:24 (RSV)
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, meekness, and patience, forbearing one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all those put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. Col. 3:12-14 (RSV)