Sunday July 5th 2020: Read Br Michael’s Gospel Reflection The Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Come to me all you who are overburdened
The main invitation that Jesus offers us is the one to follow him; ‘if anyone wants to come with me, they must deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me.’ (Mtt. 16.24). This is simply an invitation, but it is also a very challenging one. In today’s gospel, Jesus offers us another invitation, but it is more comforting and supportive!
The gospel begins with Jesus naming God as the creator of heaven and earth; all that exists. Then Jesus claims that no one knows God except him; theirs is a unique and very personal friendship. Jesus then calls and invites his friends and followers to become part of this dynamic and intimate relationship. He says to them and each of us today, ‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me.. .’ What is this ‘yoke’ of which Jesus speaks? At the time of Jesus and before there was modern farming equipment, a yoke was a wooden harness that was used for oxen to get them to pull a cart or plough together as a pair. It was to prevent them from pulling away from each other. Jesus is inviting us to take his yoke on our shoulders. This will make it easier for us to walk were he walks without too much stress or strain – it keeps us together. This is meant to take and lift some of the weight and stress from our shoulders. Literally, Jesus is offering to ‘shoulder’ our problems and difficulties; we are not walking with them or carrying them by ourselves.
In our ‘normal’ daily lives before Covid 19, we all experienced the struggles and difficulties of daily life; illness, family problems, bereavement and so much more with which we are all too familiar. These recent months however have put so much stress and strain on all of us because of separation, isolation, social distancing, illness and sadly death. Our usual daily routines and activities were suddenly stopped, even taken from us. No one saw this coming. There were no countries, health services or governments prepared for the impact this virus has had and is still having on us personally, locally, nationally and globally. We have all responded as best we can and hopefully the worst of this is now beginning to end and we can start to look the future and a ‘new normal’ with hope and confidence.
We are not alone as we experience any of this. Jesus says to each of us this very day ‘Come to me if you are overburdened and I will give you rest.’ Jesus is not asking us to go through any of this on our own. He wants to walk with us by our side and wants us to walk with him. As we take up our cross and follow Jesus, he also wants us to shoulder his yoke so that he can support and strengthen us during these difficult days. We are not alone.
As we continue to live with the ongoing impact of the virus, can we also hear and accept the invitation that Jesus offers to each of us today and everyday; ‘Come to me, all you who labour and are over burdened and I will give you rest.’
– Br Michael Moore OMI
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Gospel for Sunday July 5th Matthew 11:25-30 ©
You have hidden these things from the wise and revealed them to little children
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