Thursday of the Fifteenth Week in
Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 392
Lectionary: 392
The way of the just is smooth;
the path of the just you make level.
Yes, for your way and your judgments, O LORD,
we look to you;
Your name and your title
are the desire of our souls.
My soul yearns for you in the night,
yes, my spirit within me keeps vigil for you;
When your judgment dawns upon the earth,
the world's inhabitants learn justice.
O LORD, you mete out peace to us,
for it is you who have accomplished all we have done.
O LORD, oppressed by your punishment,
we cried out in anguish under your chastising.
As a woman about to give birth
writhes and cries out in her pains,
so were we in your presence, O LORD.
We conceived and writhed in pain,
giving birth to wind;
Salvation we have not achieved for the earth,
the inhabitants of the world cannot bring it forth.
But your dead shall live, their corpses shall rise;
awake and sing, you who lie in the dust.
For your dew is a dew of light,
and the land of shades gives birth.
the path of the just you make level.
Yes, for your way and your judgments, O LORD,
we look to you;
Your name and your title
are the desire of our souls.
My soul yearns for you in the night,
yes, my spirit within me keeps vigil for you;
When your judgment dawns upon the earth,
the world's inhabitants learn justice.
O LORD, you mete out peace to us,
for it is you who have accomplished all we have done.
O LORD, oppressed by your punishment,
we cried out in anguish under your chastising.
As a woman about to give birth
writhes and cries out in her pains,
so were we in your presence, O LORD.
We conceived and writhed in pain,
giving birth to wind;
Salvation we have not achieved for the earth,
the inhabitants of the world cannot bring it forth.
But your dead shall live, their corpses shall rise;
awake and sing, you who lie in the dust.
For your dew is a dew of light,
and the land of shades gives birth.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 102:13-14AB AND 15,
16-18, 19-21
R. (20b) From
heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.
You, O LORD, abide forever,
and your name through all generations.
You will arise and have mercy on Zion,
for it is time to pity her.
For her stones are dear to your servants,
and her dust moves them to pity.
R. From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.
The nations shall revere your name, O LORD,
and all the kings of the earth your glory,
When the LORD has rebuilt Zion
and appeared in his glory;
When he has regarded the prayer of the destitute,
and not despised their prayer.
R. From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.
Let this be written for the generation to come,
and let his future creatures praise the LORD:
"The LORD looked down from his holy height,
from heaven he beheld the earth,
To hear the groaning of the prisoners,
to release those doomed to die."
R. From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.
You, O LORD, abide forever,
and your name through all generations.
You will arise and have mercy on Zion,
for it is time to pity her.
For her stones are dear to your servants,
and her dust moves them to pity.
R. From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.
The nations shall revere your name, O LORD,
and all the kings of the earth your glory,
When the LORD has rebuilt Zion
and appeared in his glory;
When he has regarded the prayer of the destitute,
and not despised their prayer.
R. From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.
Let this be written for the generation to come,
and let his future creatures praise the LORD:
"The LORD looked down from his holy height,
from heaven he beheld the earth,
To hear the groaning of the prisoners,
to release those doomed to die."
R. From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.
AlleluiaMT 11:28
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 11:28-30
Jesus said:
"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: "Take my yoke upon
you and learn from me"
What does the yoke of Jesus refer to in the Gospel?
The Jews used the image of a yoke to express submission to God. They spoke of
the yoke of the law, the yoke of the commandments, the yoke of the kingdom, and
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. Oxen were yoked two by two. Jesus invites us to be yoked
with him, to unite our life with his life, our will with his will, and our
heart with his heart. To be yoked with Jesus is to be united with him in a
relationship of love, trust, and obedience.
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?
Freed from the burden of sin and guilt
Jesus offers us a new kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy. 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. The yoke of Christ's kingdom, his kingly rule and way of life, liberates us from the burden of guilt and from the oppression of sinful habits and hurtful desires. Only 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 weight of glory and victory with him. The yoke which Jesus invites us to embrace is his way of love, grace, and freedom from the power of sin. Do you trust in God's love and submit to his will and plan for your life?
Jesus offers us a new kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy. 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. The yoke of Christ's kingdom, his kingly rule and way of life, liberates us from the burden of guilt and from the oppression of sinful habits and hurtful desires. Only 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 weight of glory and victory with him. The yoke which Jesus invites us to embrace is his way of love, grace, and freedom from the power of sin. Do you trust in God's love and submit to his will and plan 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 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."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Grace bear us, by an anonymous early
author from the Greek church
"'My yoke is easy and my burden light.' ... The
prophet says this about the burden of sinners: 'Because my iniquities lie on
top of my head, so they have also placed a heavy burden on me' (Psalm 38:4)'
...'Place my yoke upon you, and learn from me that I am gentle and humble of
heart.' Oh, what a very pleasing weight that strengthens even more those who
carry it! For the weight of earthly masters gradually destroys the strength of
their servants, but the weight of Christ rather helps the one who bears it, because
we do not bear grace; grace bears us. It is not for us to help grace, but
rather grace has been given to aid us.' (excerpt
from INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY, the Greek fathers).
THURSDAY,
JULY 19, MATTHEW 11:28-30
Weekday
(Isaiah 26:7-9, 12, 16-19; Psalm 102)
KEY VERSE: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest" (v. 28).
TO KNOW: 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). However, the religious leaders had 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).
TO LOVE: How can I help someone carry their burdens today?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to find rest in you when life becomes complicated.
www.togetherwithgodsword.com
Weekday
(Isaiah 26:7-9, 12, 16-19; Psalm 102)
KEY VERSE: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest" (v. 28).
TO KNOW: 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). However, the religious leaders had 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).
TO LOVE: How can I help someone carry their burdens today?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to find rest in you when life becomes complicated.
www.togetherwithgodsword.com
Thursday 19 July
2018
Isaiah
26:7–9, 12, 16–19. Psalm 101(102):13–21. Matthew 11:28–30.
From
heaven the Lord looks down on the earth—Psalm 101(102):13–21.
‘Lord,
we set our hopes in you.’
Today
we receive an invitation in a short but packed passage in Matthew’s Gospel.
Jesus invites us to a deep friendship found in the quiet of our prayer. We may
recall that Jesus was conscious of the burdens imposed by religious leaders.
Now he invites us to turn to him with whatever may burden us and he will give
us rest.
For
ourselves, we know that our sense of Jesus being with us and strengthening us
and loving us gives special meaning to that word ‘rest’. When our hearts are
thus engaged they are active rather than resting, and, at the same time, at
peace rather than stressed.
Saint Mary
MacKillop
Saint
of the Day for July 19
(January
15, 1842 – August 8, 1909)
Saint
Mary MacKillop’s Story
If
Saint Mary MacKillop were alive today, she would be a household name. It’s
not that she sought the limelight. On the contrary, she simply wanted to serve
the poor wherever she found them in her native Australia. But along the way,
she managed to arouse the ire of some rather powerful churchmen. One even
excommunicated her for a time.
Born
in Melbourne in 1842, to parents who had emigrated from Scotland, Mary grew up
in a family that faced constant financial struggles. As a young woman she was
drawn to religious life but could not find an existing order of Sisters that
met her needs. In 1860, she met Father Julian Woods, who became her spiritual
director. Together they founded a new community of women—the Sisters of St.
Joseph of the Sacred Heart, also known as the Josephite Sisters. Its members
were to staff schools especially for poor children, as well as orphanages, and
do other works of charity.
As
the congregation grew, so did Mary MacKillop’s problems. Her priest-friend
proved unreliable in many ways and his responsibilities for direction of the
Sisters were removed. Meanwhile, Mary had the support of some local bishops as
she and her Sisters went about their work. But the bishop in South Australia,
aging and relying on others for advice, briefly excommunicated Mary—charging
her with disobedience—and dispensed 50 of her Sisters from their vows. In
truth, the bishop’s quarrel was about power and who had authority over whom. He
ultimately rescinded his order of excommunication.
Mary
insisted that her congregation should be governed by an elected mother general
answerable to Rome, not to the local bishop. There also were disputes about
whether or not the congregation could own property. In the end, Rome proved to
be Mary’s best source of support. After a long wait official approval of the
congregation—and how it was to be governed—came from Pope Leo XIII.
Despite
her struggles with Church authorities, Mary MacKillop and her Sisters were able
to offer social services that few, if any, government agencies in Australia
could. They served Protestants and Catholics alike. They worked among the aborigines.
They taught in schools and orphanages and served unmarried mothers.
Money,
actually the lack of it, was a constant worry. But the Sisters who begged from
door to door, were bolstered by faith and by the conviction that their
struggles were opportunities to grow closer to God.
By
the time Mary was approaching the end of her life, the congregation was
thriving. She died in 1909 at the age of 67. Pope
John Paul II beatified her in 1995. In 2010, when Pope Benedict XVI
canonized her, she became Australia’s first saint. Her Liturgical Feast
Day is August 8.
Reflection
The
story of many foundresses of religious communities and the tales of the early
days of those communities can make for fascinating reading. Those women were
dedicated and tough and fought for those they served. Let’s thank the Lord for
raising up such wonderful examples of faith.
LECTIO DIVINA: MATTHEW 11,
28-30
Lectio Divina:
Thursday, July 19, 2018
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
God our Father,
your light of truth
guides us to the way of Christ.
May all who follow him
reject what is contrary to the gospel.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
your light of truth
guides us to the way of Christ.
May all who follow him
reject what is contrary to the gospel.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 11,28-30
Jesus said: '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
• The Gospel today is composed only by
three verses (Mt 11, 28-30) which form part of a brief literary unity, one of
the most beautiful ones, in which Jesus thanks the Father for having revealed
the wisdom of the Kingdom to the little children and because he has hidden it
to the doctors and the wise (Mt 11, 25-30). In the brief commentary which
follows we will include all the literary unity.
• Matthew 11, 25-26: Only the little children accept and understand the Good News of the Kingdom. Jesus recites a prayer: “I thank you Father, Lord of Heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to little children”. The wise, the doctors of that time, have created a system of laws which they imposed on the people in the name of God (Mt 23, 3-4). They thought that God demanded this observance from the people. But the law of love, which Jesus has revealed to us, said the contrary. What is important to be saved, is not what we do for God, but what God, in his great love, does for us! God wants mercy and not sacrifice (Mt 9, 13). The simple and poor people understood this way of speaking of Jesus and rejoiced. The wise said that Jesus was in error. They could not succeed to understand his teaching. “Yes, Father for that is what it pleased you to do! It pleased the Father that the little children understand the message of the Kingdom and that the wise and the learned do not understand it! If they want to understand it they have to become the pupils of the little children! This way of thinking and of teaching makes people feel uncomfortable and change their community life together.
• Matthew 11, 27: The origin of the new Law: the Son knows the Father. What the Father has to tell us he has given to Jesus, and Jesus reveals it to the little children, so that they may be open to his message. Jesus, the Son, knows the Father. He knows what the Father wanted to communicate to us, when many centuries ago he gave his Law to Moses. Today also, Jesus is teaching many things to the poor and to the little children and, through them, to all his Church.
• Matthew 11, 28-30: The invitation of Jesus which is still valid today. Jesus invites all those who are tired to go to him, and he promises them rest. In our communities today, we should be the continuation of this invitation which Jesus addresses to people who were tired and oppressed by the weight of the observance asked by the laws of purity. He says: “Learn from me for I am meek and humble of heart”. Many times, this phrase has been manipulated, to ask people for submission, meekness and passivity. Jesus wants to say the contrary. He asks people not to listen to “the wise and learned”, the professors of religion of that time and to begin to learn from him, from Jesus, a man who came from Galilee, without higher instruction, who says he is “meek and humble of heart”. Jesus does not do like the Scribes who exalt themselves because of their science, but he placed himself at the side of the people who are exploited and humiliated. Jesus, the new Master, knows by experience what takes place in the heart of the people who suffer. He has lived this well and has known it during the thirty years of his life in Nazareth.
• How Jesus puts into practice what he taught in the Discourse of the Mission. Jesus has a passion: to announce the Good News of the Kingdom. He had a Passion for the Father and for the people of his country who are poor and abandoned. There where Jesus found people who listened to him, Jesus transmitted the Good News, in any place: In the Synagogues during the celebration of the Word (Mt 4, 23), in the houses of the friends (Mt 13, 36); walking along the way with the disciples (Mt 12, 1-8); along the shore of the sea, sitting in the boat (Mt 13, 3); on the Mountain from where he proclaims the Beatitudes (Mt 5, 1); in the squares and in the cities, where people would bring the sick to him (Mt 14, 34-36). Also in the Temple of Jerusalem, during the pilgrimage (Mt 26, 55)! In Jesus everything is revelation of everything which he bore inside himself! He not only announced the Good News of the Kingdom, He himself was and continues to be a living sign of the Kingdom. In him we see clearly what happens when a human being allows God to reign in his life. Today’s Gospel reveals the tenderness with which Jesus welcomes the little children. He wanted them to find rest and peace. And because of this choice of his for the little children and the excluded, he was criticized and persecuted. He suffered very much! The same thing happens today. When a community tries to open itself to be a place of welcome and consolation for the little children and the excluded of today who are the foreigners and the migrants, many persons do not agree and criticize.
• Matthew 11, 25-26: Only the little children accept and understand the Good News of the Kingdom. Jesus recites a prayer: “I thank you Father, Lord of Heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to little children”. The wise, the doctors of that time, have created a system of laws which they imposed on the people in the name of God (Mt 23, 3-4). They thought that God demanded this observance from the people. But the law of love, which Jesus has revealed to us, said the contrary. What is important to be saved, is not what we do for God, but what God, in his great love, does for us! God wants mercy and not sacrifice (Mt 9, 13). The simple and poor people understood this way of speaking of Jesus and rejoiced. The wise said that Jesus was in error. They could not succeed to understand his teaching. “Yes, Father for that is what it pleased you to do! It pleased the Father that the little children understand the message of the Kingdom and that the wise and the learned do not understand it! If they want to understand it they have to become the pupils of the little children! This way of thinking and of teaching makes people feel uncomfortable and change their community life together.
• Matthew 11, 27: The origin of the new Law: the Son knows the Father. What the Father has to tell us he has given to Jesus, and Jesus reveals it to the little children, so that they may be open to his message. Jesus, the Son, knows the Father. He knows what the Father wanted to communicate to us, when many centuries ago he gave his Law to Moses. Today also, Jesus is teaching many things to the poor and to the little children and, through them, to all his Church.
• Matthew 11, 28-30: The invitation of Jesus which is still valid today. Jesus invites all those who are tired to go to him, and he promises them rest. In our communities today, we should be the continuation of this invitation which Jesus addresses to people who were tired and oppressed by the weight of the observance asked by the laws of purity. He says: “Learn from me for I am meek and humble of heart”. Many times, this phrase has been manipulated, to ask people for submission, meekness and passivity. Jesus wants to say the contrary. He asks people not to listen to “the wise and learned”, the professors of religion of that time and to begin to learn from him, from Jesus, a man who came from Galilee, without higher instruction, who says he is “meek and humble of heart”. Jesus does not do like the Scribes who exalt themselves because of their science, but he placed himself at the side of the people who are exploited and humiliated. Jesus, the new Master, knows by experience what takes place in the heart of the people who suffer. He has lived this well and has known it during the thirty years of his life in Nazareth.
• How Jesus puts into practice what he taught in the Discourse of the Mission. Jesus has a passion: to announce the Good News of the Kingdom. He had a Passion for the Father and for the people of his country who are poor and abandoned. There where Jesus found people who listened to him, Jesus transmitted the Good News, in any place: In the Synagogues during the celebration of the Word (Mt 4, 23), in the houses of the friends (Mt 13, 36); walking along the way with the disciples (Mt 12, 1-8); along the shore of the sea, sitting in the boat (Mt 13, 3); on the Mountain from where he proclaims the Beatitudes (Mt 5, 1); in the squares and in the cities, where people would bring the sick to him (Mt 14, 34-36). Also in the Temple of Jerusalem, during the pilgrimage (Mt 26, 55)! In Jesus everything is revelation of everything which he bore inside himself! He not only announced the Good News of the Kingdom, He himself was and continues to be a living sign of the Kingdom. In him we see clearly what happens when a human being allows God to reign in his life. Today’s Gospel reveals the tenderness with which Jesus welcomes the little children. He wanted them to find rest and peace. And because of this choice of his for the little children and the excluded, he was criticized and persecuted. He suffered very much! The same thing happens today. When a community tries to open itself to be a place of welcome and consolation for the little children and the excluded of today who are the foreigners and the migrants, many persons do not agree and criticize.
4) Personal questions
• Have you experienced some time the
rest promised by Jesus?
• How can the words of Jesus help our community to be a place of rest for our life?
• How can the words of Jesus help our community to be a place of rest for our life?
5) Concluding Prayer
In you is the source of life,
by your light we see the light.
Maintain your faithful love to those who acknowledge you,
and your saving justice to the honest of heart. (Ps 36,9-10)
by your light we see the light.
Maintain your faithful love to those who acknowledge you,
and your saving justice to the honest of heart. (Ps 36,9-10)
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