Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent
Lectionary: 183
Lectionary: 183
To whom can you
liken me as an equal?
says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high
and see who has created these things:
He leads out their army and numbers them,
calling them all by name.
By his great might and the strength of his power
not one of them is missing!
Why, O Jacob, do you say,
and declare, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?
Do you not know
or have you not heard?
The LORD is the eternal God,
creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint nor grow weary,
and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny.
He gives strength to the fainting;
for the weak he makes vigor abound.
Though young men faint and grow weary,
and youths stagger and fall,
They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength,
they will soar as with eagles’ wings;
They will run and not grow weary,
walk and not grow faint.
says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high
and see who has created these things:
He leads out their army and numbers them,
calling them all by name.
By his great might and the strength of his power
not one of them is missing!
Why, O Jacob, do you say,
and declare, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?
Do you not know
or have you not heard?
The LORD is the eternal God,
creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint nor grow weary,
and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny.
He gives strength to the fainting;
for the weak he makes vigor abound.
Though young men faint and grow weary,
and youths stagger and fall,
They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength,
they will soar as with eagles’ wings;
They will run and not grow weary,
walk and not grow faint.
Responsorial Psalm PS 103:1-2, 3-4, 8 AND 10
R. (1) O bless the Lord, my soul!
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul!
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul!
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul!
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul!
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul!
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul!
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Behold, the Lord comes to save his people;
blessed are those prepared to meet him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Behold, the Lord comes to save his people;
blessed are those prepared to meet him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel MT 11:28-30
Jesus said to the
crowds:
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”
Meditation: "Come to me and I will give you
rest"
What kind of yoke does the Lord Jesus have in
mind for each one of us? And how can it be good for us? The Jewish people used
the image of a yoke to express their submission to God. They spoke of the yoke
of the law, the yoke of the commandments, the yoke of the kingdom, the yoke of
God. Jesus says his yoke is "easy". The Greek word for
"easy" can also mean "well-fitting". Yokes were tailor-made
to fit the oxen well for labor. We are commanded to put on the "sweet yoke
of Jesus" and to live the "heavenly way of life and happiness".
Oxen were yoked two by two. Jesus invites each one of us to be yoked with him,
to unite our life with him, our will with his will, our heart with his heart.
Jesus carries our burdens with us
Jesus also says his "burden is light". There's a story of a man who once met a boy carrying a smaller crippled lad on his back. "That's a heavy load you are carrying there," exclaimed the man. "He ain't heavy; he's my brother!" responded the boy. No burden is too heavy when it's given in love and carried in love. When we yoke our lives with Jesus, he also carries our burdens with us and gives us his strength to follow in his way of love. Do you know the joy of resting in Jesus' presence and walking daily with him along the path he has for you?
Jesus also says his "burden is light". There's a story of a man who once met a boy carrying a smaller crippled lad on his back. "That's a heavy load you are carrying there," exclaimed the man. "He ain't heavy; he's my brother!" responded the boy. No burden is too heavy when it's given in love and carried in love. When we yoke our lives with Jesus, he also carries our burdens with us and gives us his strength to follow in his way of love. Do you know the joy of resting in Jesus' presence and walking daily with him along the path he has for you?
In the Advent season we celebrate the coming of
the Messiah King who ushers in the reign of God. The prophets foretold that the
Messiah would establish God's kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy. Those
who put their trust in God and in the coming of his kingdom receive the
blessings of that kingdom - peace with God and strength for living his way of
love, truth, and holiness (Isaiah 40). Jesus fulfills all the Messianic hopes
and promises of God's kingdom. That is why he taught his disciples to pray, "thy
kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew
6:10). In his kingdom sins are not only forgiven but removed, and eternal
life is poured out for all its citizens. This is not a political kingdom, but a
spiritual one.
Freed from the burden of sin and guilt
The yoke of Christ's kingdom, his kingly rule and way of life, liberates us from the burden of guilt and disobedience. Only the Lord Jesus can lift the burden of sin and the weight of hopelessness from us. Jesus used the analogy of a yoke to explain how we can exchange the burden of sin and despair for a yoke of glory, freedom, and joy with him. The yoke which the Lord Jesus invites us to embrace is his way of power and freedom to live in love, peace, and joy as God's sons and daughters. Do you trust in God's love and truth and submit to his will for your life?
The yoke of Christ's kingdom, his kingly rule and way of life, liberates us from the burden of guilt and disobedience. Only the Lord Jesus can lift the burden of sin and the weight of hopelessness from us. Jesus used the analogy of a yoke to explain how we can exchange the burden of sin and despair for a yoke of glory, freedom, and joy with him. The yoke which the Lord Jesus invites us to embrace is his way of power and freedom to live in love, peace, and joy as God's sons and daughters. Do you trust in God's love and truth and submit to his will for your life?
"Lord Jesus, inflame my heart with love for
you and for your ways and help me to exchange the yoke of rebellion for the
sweet yoke of submission to your holy and loving word. Set me free from the
folly of my own sinful ignorance and rebellious pride that I may wholly desire
what is good and in accord with your will."
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The Yoke of Love |
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December 10,
2014. Wednesday of the Second Week in Advent
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Matthew 11:28-30
Jesus said to the
crowds: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you
rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of
heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my
burden light.”
Introductory
Prayer: Lord, you know the
sincerity of my desire to spend this time with you. As I begin this
meditation, I believe that you are here with me, that you never abandon me.
Because I love you, my one wish is to please and console you in your solitude
in the tabernacle. I hope in the boundless mercy that motivated your
incarnation. May we one day meet again in your heavenly kingdom.
Petition: Mary, you who are the perfect model of humility,
help me to be meek and humble like Christ your Son, who out of love for me
became a helpless infant at Bethlehem.
1. Who Is This
Man? Who is this man who stands
before us in this Gospel—the man whose gaze has penetrated into the most
secret recesses of our souls and discovered what lies hidden there? A man who
recognizes that we labor, that we are burdened by the demands of life,
weighed down by our sins and imperfections, straining under the load of our
passions and unfulfilled desires. Who is this man who would dare promise what
we have always longed for in the inner sanctuaries of our consciences, yet
never quite allowed ourselves to hope for? Who could utter such a simple,
gentle, and appealing invitation, more than we could ever find ourselves
worthy of: “Come to me… and I will give you rest”? Who but God himself?
2. How Can We
Come to Him? How can we accept
the invitation of the one who is God become man? How can we come to him? How
can we attain what our souls have longed for all the days of our existence?
Christ himself gives us the answer: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart.” He is so humble that he does not even
wait for us to respond to his invitation. He humbles himself so that he can
first come to us at Christmas. To discover how to turn to him with our heavy
burden of selfishness and unrestrained passions, we can first approach the
manger where the King of Kings lies so helplessly.
3. A Mystery of
Humility and Love: Bethlehem is a
mystery of humility and love. Doesn’t Christ seem humble to you, reduced to
the state of a helpless infant? Without words or speeches he teaches a living
lesson we need to feel with all the intensity of which we are capable,
allowing the consequences to spring forth on their own. Can we imagine any
other state in which the goodness and humility of God radiate more clearly?
Before this helpless child, who is God Incarnate out of love for us, we are
reduced to silent wonder. All vain ambitions fade, all anger and bitter passion
soften and all idle pursuits are driven far from our hearts. The yoke that
burdened us, the rod of our taskmaster, is smashed and it is replaced by the
light and easy yoke of love.
Conversation with
Christ: Lord, help me to
penetrate more deeply into the mystery of your becoming a helpless and
innocent child at Bethlehem for me. Help me to grow in goodness of heart so I
can radiate your goodness to those around me.
Resolution: On my way to and from work today, I will contemplate
Christ meek and humble in the manger at Bethlehem. I will imitate his loving
humility in my own life and have the confidence to turn to him for help with
my failings.
By Father Walter Schu, LC |
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10, ADVENT WEEKDAY,
MATTHEW 11:12-14
(Isaiah 40:25-31; Psalm 103)
(Isaiah 40:25-31; Psalm 103)
KEY VERSE: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest" (v 28).
READING: The prophet Jeremiah told the people that they would find "rest for their souls" if they would follow the straight path to God (Jer 6:16). But the religious leaders laid a crushing weight on the people by complicating God's law with numerous legal obligations. They made no effort to lighten the load of those burdened by these regulations, and they often neglected the true purpose of the law -- justice and mercy. Jesus invited all who were weary of trying to fulfill the law to come to him. Obedience to his word would be light in comparison to the religious leader's legalistic requirements. Jesus was the embodiment of God's law of compassion and love, and he made the way to God accessible. By taking on the light yoke of obedience to his word, Jesus' followers would find rest from all that oppressed them (Is 25:4-5).
REFLECTING: How can I help carry someone's burden today?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to rest in you when I face my daily struggles.
Wednesday 10 December 2014
O bless the Lord, my
soul—Ps 102(103):1-4, 8, 10. Matthew 11:28-30.
They run and do not grow
weary. walk and never tire.
How are these words of
Isaiah fulfilled, Lord? It is because your heart is always ready to receive
each of us with total, unrestricted love, and this knowledge surpasses any
other knowledge the world can offer. I am yours, you are mine, and with you all
things are possible. If you are for me, nothing, absolutely nothing can
separate me from your love.
Lord, all you ask of each
of us is a simple ‘yes’ an act of trust, so that your choices for us can bear
fruit in our life. May we never resist the love you offer. May we walk with you
today, tomorrow and always.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
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Feeding My Soul
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Oh Jesus, present in the Blessed Sacrament, I humbly ask you to
feed my soul, to satisfy the desires of my heart, and to unite me to you in
this holy sacrament. I invite you into my soul and I thank you for coming near
to me.
December
10
Blessed Adolph Kolping
(1813-1865)
Blessed Adolph Kolping
(1813-1865)
The rise of the factory system in 19th-century Germany brought
many single men into cities where they faced new challenges to their faith.
Father Adolph Kolping began a ministry to them, hoping that they would not be lost
to the Catholic faith, as was happening to workers elsewhere in industrialized
Europe.
Born in
the village of Kerpen, Adolph became a shoemaker at an early age because of his
family’s economic situation. Ordained in 1845, he ministered to young workers
in Cologne, establishing a choir, which by 1849 had grown into the Young
Workmen’s Society. A branch of this began in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1856. Nine
years later there were over 400 Gesellenvereine (workman’s
societies) around the world. Today this group has over 450,000 members in 54
countries across the globe.
More
commonly called the Kolping Society, it emphasizes the sanctification of family
life and the dignity of labor. Father Kolping worked to improve conditions for
workers and greatly assisted those in need. He and St. John Bosco in Turin had
similar interests in working with young men in big cities. He told his
followers, “The needs of the times will teach you what to do. Father Kolping
once said, “The first thing that a person finds in life and the last to which
he holds out his hand, and the most precious that he possesses, even if he does
not realize it, is family life.”
He and
Blessed John Duns Scotus are buried in Cologne’s Minoritenkirche, originally
served by the Conventual Franciscans. The Kolping Society’s international
headquarters are across from this church.
Kolping
members journeyed to Rome from Europe, America, Africa, Asia and Oceania for
Father Kolping’s beatification in 1991, the 100th anniversary of Pope Leo
XIII’s revolutionary encyclical Rerum Novarum (On the Social
Order). Father Kolping’s personal witness and apostolate helped prepare for
that encyclical.
Comment:
Some people thought that Father Kolping was wasting his time and talents on young working men in industrialized cities. In some countries, the Catholic Church was seen by many workers as the ally of owners and the enemy of workers. Men like Adolph Kolping showed that was not true.
Some people thought that Father Kolping was wasting his time and talents on young working men in industrialized cities. In some countries, the Catholic Church was seen by many workers as the ally of owners and the enemy of workers. Men like Adolph Kolping showed that was not true.
Quote:
“Adolph Kolping gathered skilled workers and factory laborers together. Thus he overcame their isolation and defeatism. A faith society gave them the strength to go out into their everyday lives as Christ’s witnesses before God and the world. To come together, to become strengthened in the assembly, and thus to scatter again is and still remains our duty today. We are not Christians for ourselves alone, but always for others too” (Pope John Paul II, beatification homily).
“Adolph Kolping gathered skilled workers and factory laborers together. Thus he overcame their isolation and defeatism. A faith society gave them the strength to go out into their everyday lives as Christ’s witnesses before God and the world. To come together, to become strengthened in the assembly, and thus to scatter again is and still remains our duty today. We are not Christians for ourselves alone, but always for others too” (Pope John Paul II, beatification homily).
LECTIO DIVINA:
MATTHEW 11,28-30
Lectio:
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
2nd Week of Advent
1) Opening prayer
God of power and mercy,
open our hearts in welcome.
Remove the things that hinder us from receiving Christ with joy,
so that we may share his wisdom
and become one with him
when he comes in glory,
for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 11, 28-30
'Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest.
Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.'
3) Reflection
• Certain texts of the Gospel reveal to us all their significance when we place them on the background of the Old Testament. This is how this very brief and very beautiful text of the Gospel of today is. In this text there are echoes of two themes greatly loved and recalled by the Old Testament, one from Isaiah and the other one from the so called Wisdom Books.
• Isaiah speaks of the Messiah, the Servant and represents him as a disciple who is always looking for a word of comfort so as to be able to encourage those who are discouraged: “The Lord Yahweh has given me a disciple’s tongue, for me to know how to give a word of comfort to the weary. Morning by morning, he makes my ear alert to listen like a disciple”. (Is 50, 4). And the Messiah Servant launches an invitation: “Oh, come to the water all you who are thirsty; though you have no money come! Buy and eat; come buy wine and milk without money, free” (Is 55, 1). These texts were present in the memory of the people. They were like the songs of our childhood. When people listens to them, souvenirs come to mind, there is nostalgia. The same with the word of Jesus: “Come to me!” revived the memory and brought close the nostalgic echo of those beautiful texts of Isaiah.
• The Books of Wisdom represent the divine wisdom as a woman, a mother who transmits to her sons her wisdom and tells them: “Buy her without money, put your necks under her yoke, let your souls receive instruction. She is near, within your reach. See for yourselves; how slight my efforts have been to win so much peace” (Si 51, 25-27). Jesus repeats this same phrase: “You will find rest!”.
• Precisely because his way of speaking to people, Jesus awakes their memory and thus the heart rejoiced and said: “The Messiah, so greatly awaited for has come!” Jesus transformed the nostalgia into hope. He made people advance a step forward. Instead of fixing themselves on the image of a glorious Messiah, king and dominator, taught by the Scribes, the people changed opinion and accepted Jesus, Messiah Servant. A humble and meek Messiah, welcoming and full of tenderness, who made them feel at ease, they the poor together with Jesus.
4) Personal questions
• Is the Law of God a light yoke which encourages me, or is it a weight which gets me tired?
• Have I felt sometimes the lightness and the joy of the yoke of the Law of God which Jesus has revealed to us?
5) Concluding Prayer
Bless Yahweh, my soul,
from the depths of my being, his holy name;
bless Yahweh, my soul,
never forget all his acts of kindness. (Ps 103)
God of power and mercy,
open our hearts in welcome.
Remove the things that hinder us from receiving Christ with joy,
so that we may share his wisdom
and become one with him
when he comes in glory,
for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 11, 28-30
'Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest.
Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.'
3) Reflection
• Certain texts of the Gospel reveal to us all their significance when we place them on the background of the Old Testament. This is how this very brief and very beautiful text of the Gospel of today is. In this text there are echoes of two themes greatly loved and recalled by the Old Testament, one from Isaiah and the other one from the so called Wisdom Books.
• Isaiah speaks of the Messiah, the Servant and represents him as a disciple who is always looking for a word of comfort so as to be able to encourage those who are discouraged: “The Lord Yahweh has given me a disciple’s tongue, for me to know how to give a word of comfort to the weary. Morning by morning, he makes my ear alert to listen like a disciple”. (Is 50, 4). And the Messiah Servant launches an invitation: “Oh, come to the water all you who are thirsty; though you have no money come! Buy and eat; come buy wine and milk without money, free” (Is 55, 1). These texts were present in the memory of the people. They were like the songs of our childhood. When people listens to them, souvenirs come to mind, there is nostalgia. The same with the word of Jesus: “Come to me!” revived the memory and brought close the nostalgic echo of those beautiful texts of Isaiah.
• The Books of Wisdom represent the divine wisdom as a woman, a mother who transmits to her sons her wisdom and tells them: “Buy her without money, put your necks under her yoke, let your souls receive instruction. She is near, within your reach. See for yourselves; how slight my efforts have been to win so much peace” (Si 51, 25-27). Jesus repeats this same phrase: “You will find rest!”.
• Precisely because his way of speaking to people, Jesus awakes their memory and thus the heart rejoiced and said: “The Messiah, so greatly awaited for has come!” Jesus transformed the nostalgia into hope. He made people advance a step forward. Instead of fixing themselves on the image of a glorious Messiah, king and dominator, taught by the Scribes, the people changed opinion and accepted Jesus, Messiah Servant. A humble and meek Messiah, welcoming and full of tenderness, who made them feel at ease, they the poor together with Jesus.
4) Personal questions
• Is the Law of God a light yoke which encourages me, or is it a weight which gets me tired?
• Have I felt sometimes the lightness and the joy of the yoke of the Law of God which Jesus has revealed to us?
5) Concluding Prayer
Bless Yahweh, my soul,
from the depths of my being, his holy name;
bless Yahweh, my soul,
never forget all his acts of kindness. (Ps 103)
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