As followers of Jesus we find ourselves holding opposing ideas at the same time. Jesus is both God and human. Mary is both virgin and mother. God is one, and yet three persons. The list goes on. It causes us to think. It is one of the places where the Holy Spirit is at work. Jesus' teachings sometimes work the same way. We can look at one of the things He says, and compare it to something else He has said, and realize that, at least on the surface, those two things are in opposition. We see one of those sayings in today's Gospel (Mt 11: 28-30), where Jesus tells us that His "yoke is easy and burden light." Come to me, He says, and I will give you rest. Following me will be easy, restful, pleasant, He seems to be saying. Really? Isn't this the same Person-- teacher, prophet-- who tells us that we need to take up our "cross", that we need to enter through the narrow door, that many will be called but few choosen? We can struggle to understand how following Jesus can both be "easy" and involve carrying a cross, how it is both a light burden and a narrow path. Sure, there are ways to reconcile these teachings. It is true that we all have crosses, and that if we follow the way of Jesus in carrying them, our burden will be lighter, even though it may not seem so at the time. We are reminded of Shakespeare's expression that a coward dies a thousand times, but a brave person only once. Or we can consider the idea of telling the truth versus telling a lie. Lying seems easier, but in the end is much harder in that it requires keeping a story straight over time and in the face of conflicting facts. But perhaps there is more going on here. As we ponder these things in our heart (to use an expression applied to Mary in her consideration of her Son), trying to reconcile things that appear to be unreconcilable, we grow closer to God. We realize the limits of our human understanding. We let the Holy Spirit work. As we prepare for Christmas, we consider the mystery of the Incarnation-- that God became human. It is a mystery well-worth a bit of pondering. We'll never get to the bottom of it-- and that's ok.