Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13-14
R. (cf. 1) I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
Gospel
At that time Jesus exclaimed:
"I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to little ones.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows the Son except the Father,
and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him."
"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."
Reflection
In today’s Gospel, Jesus promises rest to all who labor and are burdened. However, He is not referring to the kind of rest we might have enjoyed this holiday weekend, lounging in lawn chairs with an ice-cold drink. Jesus promises a rest that is truer and deeper — and it does not imply the absence of work.
As soon as Jesus says “I will give you rest,” He follows with “take my yoke upon you.” Then He says again “you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” Jesus’ rest is in His yoke. How can this be?
Anyone who seeks to know and follow Jesus can see that the Christian life is full of suffering. But Jesus’ yoke transforms the way that we live and suffer. He says “learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.” Often, the root of life’s distress and division is our pride. We inflate our own importance and self-reliance. We fixate on the good opinion of others while pressuring ourselves to carry our burdens alone. In this way, we make our burdens heavier. Virtue, on the other hand, is a stable disposition to do the good with ease. The virtue of humility, therefore, lightens our burdens, disposing us to rise above what others think and to acknowledge where we need help.
Jesus illustrates this reality when He prays at the beginning of today’s Gospel: “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to little ones.” Jesus holds up littleness — humility and meekness — as the ideal. By becoming like a child, we are more likely to rely on God, without Whom we can do nothing.
St. Thérèse of Lisieux based her spirituality of the “little way” on this passage. She recognized that becoming like a small child, trusting in God and counting on Him to take care of everything, is a sure path to sainthood. In her autobiography, she wrote: “Jesus points out to me the only way which leads to Love’s furnace – that way is self-surrender – it is the confidence of the little child who sleeps without fear in its father’s arms.”
As today’s Psalm says: “The LORD lifts up all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.” Again, we must be like little children, turning to our Heavenly Father to help us. He promises that He will.
Please be assured of my prayers for you before Our Lord, present in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
+ Bishop Schlert
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