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.”–Excerpt from the Gospel for the Fourteenth~
“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.”
–Excerpt from the Gospel for the Fourteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time:
Matthew 11:25-30
The Gospel reading for this Fourteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time offers a message of hope for all of us.
“Do Jesus’ words strike a chord within us?”, asked the pastor of St. Paul of the Cross Church at the Saturday Vigil Mass. “Have we come here today burdened in any way? Is there something wearing heavy upon our mind, or our heart, or perhaps our body?”
“What might Jesus be saying to us, as he looks upon us with gentleness and compassion?”
And so this good priest meditated with all of us:
“COME!!
You with arthritis or cancer or paralysis, come….
You who are bent low with guilt over some past sin….
You who are fast-paced and project-oriented and task-driven and afraid to give yourself some rest….
You who are suffering from an intimate relationship that has grown cold and distant….
You who are uncertain about the future, about death, or about life after death….
You who think you always have to be in control and manage everyone else’s affairs….
You who are so preoccupied with yourself: what you eat, the way you look, the way you dress….
You who cannot rest because of intense resentments and bitterness….
You who are addicted to alcohol or drugs or pornography or shopping or gambling or excessive computer use….
Come, no burden is too heavy for me to ease.
I have borne them in my passion and death.
I have overcome them in my resurrection.
I am with you.
I will breathe my Spirit within you, will calm your fears, and strengthen your spirit.
Come to my banquet, receive me in my Body and my Blood,
And I will refresh you and teach you to refresh one another.
Come, you are not a burden.
You are my beloved.
Come, forever you are mine.”
Amen.