Thursday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 392
Reading 1
Isaiah 26:7-9, 12, 16-19
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.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 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.
Alleluia
Matthew 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.
Gospel
Matthew 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.”
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
The Yoke of Christ
“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.” Matthew 11:29–30
For those first followers of Jesus, a “yoke” was a familiar term. Many would have worked with oxen and other animals on a regular basis to plow their fields. To do so, they would place a wooden yoke over the oxen, which was a form of harness that was also attached to the plow, making it easier for the oxen to till the soil. To be strapped with a yoke was an indication of servitude, since that was the role of the oxen.
In commenting upon this passage, Saint Augustine (in Sermon 126) analogized the yoke of Christ with the wings of a bird. A bird’s wings are large in comparison to its body. As a result, if someone were to conclude that removing the wings from a bird would make its life easier by ridding it of that excess weight, such an action would have the effect of keeping it bound to the earth. But give its wings back and that “yoke” will enable it to soar through the skies.
So it is with the yoke of our Lord. If we accept the invitation to be a servant of God and we take upon ourselves the yoke of Christ for the fulfillment of our mission of service, we will discover that the act of serving lightens us, refreshes us, invigorates us and energizes us. Service of God is what we are made for, just as a bird is made to have wings. And like the bird, if we remove the yoke of service of God from our lives, then we are weighed down and cannot accomplish the good we are meant to do.
We are also told in this passage that we are not to carry our yoke; rather, we are meant to carry Christ’s yoke. “Take my yoke upon you…,” Jesus said. Carrying Jesus’ yoke means we are called to live our lives with Him and in Him. He came to serve and to give His life for others. It is our duty to do the same by allowing Him to do so within us. It is Christ and His servitude that must be the motivation and foundation of our lives.
Reflect, today, upon your call to be a servant in Christ. How is God calling you to serve? Whom is God calling you to serve? And as you answer that question, how do you see your act of service? Does service seem burdensome to you? Or do you understand that it is what you are made for? If you do see humble service as a burden, then perhaps that is because you have not actually tried to serve with and in Christ Himself. Try to ponder Jesus placing His yoke upon your shoulders. Say “Yes” to that act and to the mission of humble service you are called to fulfill. Doing so wholeheartedly will not only refresh you, it will also give meaning and purpose to your life.
Reflection 2
The Servants of the Word
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?
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?
Reflection 3
One Bread, One Body
HEAVY WEIGHTS
“Take My yoke upon your shoulders and learn from Me.” —Matthew 11:29
The law of the old covenant was compared to a yoke (Sir 6:25). The yoke was heavy. It was comprised of 613 commandments. Every one of these commandments had to be obeyed, or the offender would be punished — sometimes with capital punishment. “Whoever falls into sin on one point of the law, even though he keeps the entire remainder, has become guilty on all counts” (Jas 2:10). Because of the nature of the law and because of our fallen human nature, “all who depend on observance of the law...are under a curse” (Gal 3:10).
Jesus promised rest to those wearied and burdened from living under the law (Mt 11:28). He gives us another yoke, which is easy and light (Mt 11:29-30). However, this does not mean that He abolished the law (Mt 5:17). He promised: “Until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter of the law, not the smallest part of a letter, shall be done away with until it all comes true” (Mt 5:18). Jesus fulfills the law (Mt 5:17). He has much higher standards than the old law on relationships, sexual morality, marriage, speech, justice, and love (Mt 5:20-47). Jesus added hundreds of stricter commandments to the 613 burdensome laws of the old covenant. Jesus commands: “You must be made perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48). Jesus sets the highest standards ever set.
How can Jesus’ super-heavy yoke be easy and light? It is light because He does not expect us to observe the law and carry His yoke by our willpower, but by His grace. Do the impossible. By Jesus’ grace, take His yoke on your shoulders.
Prayer: Father, I accept salvation by grace (Eph 2:8).
Promise: “O Lord, You mete out peace to us, for it is You Who have accomplished all we have done.” —Is 26:12
Praise: Praise God for the health care workers who, following the selfless example of St. Camillus, spend hours taking care of the sick, often putting their own lives in jeopardy.
Prayers
My gentle Lord, You came to us to serve and to give Your life out of love. Give me the grace I need to accept Your act of service to me and to also imitate and participate in the service to which I am called. May I take Your yoke upon me, dear Lord, so that I can fulfill the mission that You have entrusted to me. Jesus, I trust in You.
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 Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 199: Unity with Jesus is Unity with Others
The Church is glorious for many reasons. One glorious aspect of the Church is the unity found within it. It’s true that there is, at times, much internal disunity, hurt and disorder of every kind. But these are not qualities of the Church. These are the effects of the sins of Her members. The Church Herself is the Spotless Bride of Christ. And the more we enter into union with Christ Jesus, the more fully we are a member of this glorious Church. By uniting ourselves to Christ we unite ourselves to the Holy Father. And by uniting ourselves to the Holy Father, we unite ourselves to St. Peter, all the Apostles and all the saints who are living and in Heaven. We become mystically united with Christians throughout the world and our prayer and adoration of God becomes one song of praise rising to the glory of Heaven. And as we unite ourselves, through our unity with Christ, we receive the overabundance of Mercy from God making us one (See Diary #1044).
Do you see yourself as a member of the one Body of Christ? Do you understand that you are called to share in the unity that comes from your union with Him? Loving Jesus with your whole mind, heart, soul and strength brings about a profound love for others. If it does not, then it is not authentic love of God. Reflect upon the effect that your love of God has on your relationship with others. Let your love of God affect you in such a way that you discover an outpouring of love for all people, especially those within the Church. And let that love reveal the deep bond of unity that is established as a result. Unity is glorious. It is a central blessing flowing from the Church and a sign of the Mercy of God.
Lord, help me to always live in union with You and with others. May my love for You overflow into my love for others, especially those who are members of Your Church. I love You, dear Lord, and I trust in You.
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