Gospel: July 18, 2024

(Thursday)

15th Week in Ordinary Time

Psalter: Week 3 / (Green)

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 102: 13-14ab, 15, 16-18, 19-21

From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.

1st Reading: Isaiah 26: 7-9, 11, 16-19

Let the righteous walk in righteousness. You make smooth the path of the just, and we only seek the way of your laws, O Yahweh.

Your name and your memory are the desire of our hearts. My soul yearns for you in the night; for you my spirit keeps vigil.

When your judgments come to earth, the world’s inhabitants learn to be upright.

Yahweh, your hand is lifted up, but they fail to see that. Let them see your zeal for your people, that they may be put to shame. Let your enemies be burned in the fire of your anger.

For they sought you in distress, they cried out to you in the time of their punishment.

As a woman in travail moans and writhes in pain, so are we now in your presence.

We conceived, we had labor pains, but we gave birth to the wind. We have not brought salvation to the land; the inhabitants of a new world have not been born.

Your dead will live! Their corpses will rise! Awake and sing, you who lie in the dust!

For you will grow like plants drenched with the morning dew, and the earth will bring forth its dead spirits.

Gospel: Matthew 11: 28-30

“Come to me, all you who work hard and who carry heavy burdens and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble of heart; and you will find rest. For my yoke is good and my burden is light.”

Reflection:“To learn from Jesus.”

Jesus himself is inviting us to learn from him. First, he summons us, the weary and the burdened, to come to him. Second, he calls us to take his yoke and to learn from him for he is gentle and humble of heart. His assurance—that we shall find rest. The Gospel passage for today is one of the most assuring passages in the Gospel of Matthew. It primarily appeals to those who are overburdened. Whatever we are going through, our faith tells us that God will never allow any trial in our life which we cannot surmount. Jesus’ yoke is easy and his burden light because God is also the one who enables us to carry the yoke and burden that come our way. Jesus’ yoke fits our shoulders very well. However, often, we do not want to take such yoke. Hence, Jesus wants us to first learn from his gentleness and humility. In other words, Jesus is teaching us the value of acceptance. Unless we learn to accept whatever life has to offer, everything becomes heavy and burdensome. Acceptance makes the difference. It helps us to face life’s reality with a light heart.