Choosing the yoke on us that is healthy heart habits

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today connect to our preference for life that is characterized by resonance rather than dissonance.

The straight path

The Book of the Prophet Isaiah offers praise to God for the people of Judah along with prayer for deliverance from leadership that does not produce new life in the community.

* [26:1–19] This text is a mixture of praise for the salvation that will take place, a confession of Judah’s inability to achieve deliverance on its own, and earnest prayer that God may quickly bring about the longed-for salvation.

Jesus, in the Gospel from Matthew, offers to be our guide to producing fruitful life as He joins us in working with our burdens.

* [11:29] In place of the yoke of the law, complicated by scribal interpretation, Jesus invites the burdened to take the yoke of obedience to his word, under which they will find rest; cf. Jer 6:16.

Tamora Whitney receives advice today to “Just follow the path”. The way is harder for the unjust.

Tvaraj connects the Gospel theme of the Gentle Mastery of Christ to Sirach 51:26 and Jeremiah 6:16.

Though there are numerous citations of Sirach in the Talmud and works of rabbinic literature (as “ספר בן סירא”, e.g., Hagigah 13a) the book was not accepted into the scriptural canon of Judaism after the first century A.D., nor, therefore, accepted by Protestants.

The meditation of Don Schwager asks: 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.

William Barclay, in The Gospel of Matthew, Volume Two comments that there is a legend that Jesus made the best ox-yokes in all Galilee.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 11:28-30 notes that Jesus issues a compelling command. Come to me! He commands, and I will give you rest.

So what are you waiting for? Using your faith and your imagination, place yourself in Jesus’ presence right now. Tell him what’s on your mind—your burdens, your victories, your worries, your workload. Even tell him about your sins. He won’t judge you; he’ll forgive you! Then close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. You may not feel anything right away, but you can still trust that he is pouring his blessings on you—precisely because you came to him.

Friar Jude Winkler identifies a universal message in Chapters 24-27 of Isaiah that connects to an understanding of resurrection of the dead that resonates with the literature of the time of the Exile. The concept of Mother Earth producing fruitful life resonates with our current developing concern for our Common Home and our beginnings as expressed in the language of Genesis. The “cross” we bear is is both tailored to our lives and shared by our yoking to Jesus, Friar Jude concludes.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, offers five interlocking habits of the heart . . . deeply ingrained patterns of receiving, interpreting, and responding to experience that involve our intellects, emotions, self-images, and concepts of meaning and purpose. He concludes that these five habits, taken together, are crucial to sustaining a democracy.

We must understand that we are all in this together. Ecologists, economists, ethicists, philosophers of science, and religious and secular leaders have all given voice to this theme. . . .We must develop an appreciation of the value of “otherness.”. . . [This] can remind us of the ancient tradition of hospitality to the stranger. . . .We must cultivate the ability to hold tension in life-giving ways. . . . When we allow [these] tensions to expand our hearts, they can open us to new understandings of ourselves and our world, enhancing our lives and allowing us to enhance the lives of others. . . .We must generate a sense of personal voice and agency. Insight and energy give rise to new life as we speak and act, expressing our version of truth while checking and correcting it against the truths of others. . . .We must strengthen our capacity to create community. . . . The steady companionship of two or three kindred spirits can kindle the courage we need to speak and act as citizens.

The Prophet Isaiah observed the political actions that humbled Judah and Jesus offers a tailored task to us in which He is our guide to a fertile outcome. Contemplation and action in His Wisdom is our mission.

References


(n.d.). Isaiah, chapter 26 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved July 19, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/26

(n.d.). Matthew, chapter 11 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved July 19, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/11

(2012, July 19). The Gentle Mastery of Christ | Inspirations. Retrieved July 19, 2018, from https://tvaraj2inspirations.wordpress.com/2012/07/19/the-gentle-mastery-of-christ/

(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 19, 2018, from http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/

(n.d.). The Gospel of Matthew, Volume Two. Retrieved July 19, 2018, from https://books.google.com/books?id=VQ9ubd30ieAC&pg=PA20&lpg=PA20&dq=Yokes+were+tailor-made&source=bl&ots=xsshddFxIW&sig=Xrw1WugKwh7I9PqeLOVDxwEGJzA&hl=en

(n.d.). Saint Camillus de Lellis, Priest (Optional Memorial) - Mass Readings .... Retrieved July 19, 2018, from https://wau.org/meditations/

(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archive - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved July 19, 2018, from https://cac.org/richard-rohr/daily-meditations/daily-meditations-archive/