The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to reflect on the way in which we find support for our action as disciples of Christ.
The reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah is Judah’s praise and prayer for deliverance.
* [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. (Isaiah, CHAPTER 26 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 102 is a prayer to the Eternal King for help.
* [Psalm 102] A lament, one of the Penitential Psalms. The psalmist, experiencing psychological and bodily disintegration (Ps 102:4–12), cries out to God (Ps 102:1–3). In the Temple precincts where God has promised to be present, the psalmist recalls God’s venerable promises to save the poor (Ps 102:13–23). The final part (Ps 102:24–28) restates the original complaint and prayer, and emphasizes God’s eternity. (Psalms, PSALM 102 | USCCB, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Matthew, we find an image of the Gentle Mastery of Christ.
* [11:28] Who labor and are burdened: burdened by the law as expounded by the scribes and Pharisees (Mt 23:4).
* [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. (Matthew, CHAPTER 11, n.d.)
Steve Scholer comments that psychologists have written much about the importance of teams, and most agree that the key elements to their success include sharing the same goals, open and honest communication with each member, dedication to reaching the goal, and being accountable to other members.
So, with each of us having made “the easiest decision in the history of decision making” by having chosen Christ to be on our team, how do we stack up as a teammate? Do we share the same goals as Christ, that we love our neighbors as we do ourselves? Are we open in our communication with Christ? Are our daily prayers rote or are they from the heart? Do we hide things from him because we are embarrassed to tell him the truth, or do we feel he doesn’t really need to know? Are we accountable to him in thought, word and deed, or do we think we can take a day off here and there and let Christ carry the load by himself on those days? (Creighton U. Daily Reflection, n.d.)
Don Schwager quotes “Grace bear us,” by an anonymous early author from the Greek church.
"'My yoke is easy and my burden light.' ... The prophet says this about the burden of sinners: 'Because my iniquities lie on top of my head, so they have also placed a heavy burden on me' (Psalm 38:4)' ...'Place my yoke upon you, and learn from me that I am gentle and humble of heart.' Oh, what a very pleasing weight that strengthens even more those who carry it! For the weight of earthly masters gradually destroys the strength of their servants, but the weight of Christ rather helps the one who bears it, because we do not bear grace; grace bears us. It is not for us to help grace, but rather grace has been given to aid us.' (excerpt from INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY, the Greek fathers). (Schwager, 2020)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 11:28-30 comments that Jesus is the teacher, and we are lifelong learners. That means each day is a new opportunity to pray, “Here I am, Lord. How can I learn from you today? How can I rest in you and grow in walking by your side?”
Sometimes Jesus will teach you by having the Holy Spirit call your attention to a sentence or phrase in Scripture that seems especially relevant to your situation. Sometimes he uses another person to communicate his message of loving encouragement or a thought-provoking challenge. Sometimes he will inspire you with an inner prompting to do something specific or reach out to someone.
No matter what way Jesus chooses to teach you, learning from him and walking beside him can be a delightful daily adventure.
“Here I am, Lord. I’m eager to soak up whatever you want to teach me today.” (Meditation on Matthew 11:28-30, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler notes the different authorship of groups in the chapters in Isaiah. The text today is different in tone, more spiritual and theological, calling the people to try to turn from sin. Friar Jude reminds us of the custom fit of the yoke that Jesus offers to us.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Episcopal priest Becca Stevens, founder of Thistle Farms, a social enterprise run by survivors of sexual abuse, trafficking, and addiction. Rev. Stevens’s story reminds us of Jesus’ parable (Luke 13:18–19) about the kingdom of God and a mustard seed’s growth from tiny plant to large tree.
Now, I can see that one loving gesture is practically divine. We have to do small things and believe a big difference is coming. It’s like the miraculous drops of water that seep through mountain limestone. They gather themselves into springs that flow into creeks that merge into rivers that find their way to oceans. Our work is to envision the drops as oceans. We do our small parts and know a powerful ocean of love and compassion is downstream. Each small gesture can lead to liberation. The bravest thing we can do in this world is not cling to old ideas or fear of judgment, but step out and just do something for love’s sake. . . .
There is no secret formula to experiencing the sacred in our lives. It just takes practice and practicality. The deep truth of our lives and the fullness we are striving for don’t happen with someone giving us the code to deep knowledge. Meaning and faith are not secret things. Sometimes what we need most is to remind one another of how the divine is all around us, calling us to see and taste it for ourselves. (Rohr, 2020)
We come to know the personally fitted yoke with Christ through the prompting of the Spirit to decide to plow our furrows in peace and mercy.
References
Creighton U. Daily Reflection. (n.d.). Online Ministries. Retrieved July 14, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/071422.html
Isaiah, CHAPTER 26 | USCCB. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved July 14, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/26?7
Matthew, CHAPTER 11. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved July 14, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/11?28
Meditation on Matthew 11:28-30. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved July 14, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/07/14/441604/
Psalms, PSALM 102 | USCCB. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved July 14, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/102?13
Rohr, R. (2020, April 15). Starting Small. Daily Meditations Archive: 2022. Retrieved July 14, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/starting-small-22-07-14/
Schwager, D. (2020, April 15). Take My Yoke upon You and Learn from Me. Daily Scripture net. Retrieved July 14, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=jul14
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