The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to contemplate the deep relationship that God desires with us.
In the reading from the Book of Exodus, the Divine Name is revealed to Moses.
* [3:14] I am who I am: Moses asks in v. 13 for the name of the One speaking to him, but God responds with a wordplay which preserves the utterly mysterious character of the divine being even as it appears to suggest something of the inner meaning of God’s name: ‘ehyeh “I am” or “I will be(come)” for “Yhwh,” the personal name of the God of Israel. While the phrase “I am who I am” resists unraveling, it nevertheless suggests an etymological linking between the name “Yhwh” and an earlier form of the Hebrew verbal root h-y-h “to be.” On that basis many have interpreted the name “Yhwh” as a third-person form of the verb meaning “He causes to be, creates,” itself perhaps a shortened form of a longer liturgical name such as “(God who) creates (the heavenly armies).” Note in this connection the invocation of Israel’s God as “LORD (Yhwh) of Hosts” (e.g., 1 Sm 17:45). In any case, out of reverence for God’s proper name, the term Adonai, “my Lord,” was later used as a substitute. The word LORD (in small capital letters) indicates that the Hebrew text has the sacred name (Yhwh), the tetragrammaton. The word “Jehovah” arose from a false reading of this name as it is written in the current Hebrew text. The Septuagint has egō eimi ho ōn, “I am the One who is” (ōn being the participle of the verb “to be”). This can be taken as an assertion of God’s aseity or self-existence, and has been understood as such by the Church, since the time of the Fathers, as a true expression of God’s being, even though it is not precisely the meaning of the Hebrew. (Exodus, CHAPTER 3, n.d.)
Psalm 105 praises God’s Faithfulness to Israel.
* [Psalm 105] A hymn to God who promised the land of Canaan to the holy people, cf. Ps 78; 106; 136. Israel is invited to praise and seek the presence of God (Ps 105:1–6), who is faithful to the promise of land to the ancestors (Ps 105:7–11). In every phase of the national story—the ancestors in the land of Canaan (Ps 105:12–15), Joseph in Egypt (Ps 105:16–22), Israel in Egypt (Ps 105:23–38), Israel in the desert on the way to Canaan (Ps 105:39–45)—God remained faithful, reiterating the promise of the land to successive servants. (Psalms, PSALM 105 | USCCB, n.d.)
The Gospel of Matthew teaches the Gentle Mastery of Christ.
* [11:28–29] These verses are peculiar to Matthew and are similar to Ben Sirach’s invitation to learn wisdom and submit to her yoke (Sir 51:23, 26).
* [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 | USCCB, n.d.)
David Crawford comments that the Good Shepherd wants, as Psalm 23 proclaims, to make us lie down in peaceful pastures and to restore our souls. Whatever our circumstances, God loves each of us individually, is concerned for us, and wants good for us.
It also can be tempting, when troubles weighing us down are of our own making, to wonder whether the invitation still is open to us. (In our judgmental moods, we may ask that question about someone else.) Jesus invited ALL to come, which means everyone. The Prodigal Son, after rejecting his father before heading off for a life of debauchery, is welcome – as is the “good” but judgmental brother who remained at home. And the invitation is always there, so we can return each time we stray.
I have been using the word “invitation,” but that may fail to highlight that Jesus’s “Come to me” is actually a command. He did not say, “I am here if you need me.” He declared “Come” and then followed it with a second command: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me.” As we learn to be “meek and humble of heart,” the yoke keeps us close to Him, keeps us from straying off the path, keeps us doing His work. (Crawford, 2023)
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, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 11:28-30 asks ” How do we rest in Jesus?” Jesus took breaks from work and ministry to spend time with his Father. Sometimes this meant rising early or taking long walks in the mountains. Jesus also took time away from the needy crowds to be with his close friends and enjoy a good meal together.
Today, take some time to rest with the Lord. Spend a few extra minutes just breathing deeply and sitting quietly with him. Then cast whatever burdens you are carrying on Jesus’ capable shoulders. Perhaps a short relaxing walk, weather permitting, can help you hear the Spirit’s wisdom regarding a troubling situation. You might also get together with close friends and let their love and presence reassure you that God has you in the palm of his hands.
Come to Jesus, and he will give you rest!
“Jesus, I accept your invitation! I will come to you, burdens and all. In you I find my rest.” (Meditation on Matthew 11:28-30, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments on the mysterious power associated with names. Rabbis offered a few interpretations of “I AM WHO AM” including One who shows love to the Israelites. Friar Jude reminds us that our furrow will be straight when we are yoked with Jesus.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that when Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire, we lost the essence of the gospel as “good news for the poor”. We can date the turning point to the year 313 CE, when the Emperor Constantine established Christianity throughout the Holy Roman Empire. The Church thought that linking up with power was a good way to spread the gospel message. In truth, it became embarrassed by Jesus, the powerless one.
After 313 CE, Scripture interpretations do a 180-degree turn. Take the issue of war: a hundred years before 313, it was unthinkable that a Christian would fight in the army. Jesus’ teaching on nonviolence is self-evident. As Mohandas Gandhi (1869–1948) observed, “I am convinced that [Christianity] has distorted the message of Jesus…. When it had the backing of a Roman emperor it became an imperialist faith as it remains to this day.” [1] Jesus taught nonviolence, lived nonviolently, and died nonviolently, but this goes right over our heads! We can’t see it because we’ve spent seventeen hundred years interpreting Scripture from the top. Reading Scripture from the bottom is the key to what liberation theology calls the preferential option for the poor. I just call it the bias from the bottom. Apart from conversion and until the ego is transformed, everybody wants to be at the top. Apart from grace, we don’t see anything valuable on the bottom.
By the year 400 CE, the entire Roman army is Christian and we are killing the “pagans.” After the Empire becomes Christian, there is a whole section of the Bible that we are structurally unable to read. We can’t read anything about nonviolence, powerlessness, or not being “winners.” We can’t see what we can’t see. We can’t hear what we are not ready to hear. And if we are on the top, any critique of the top is un-hearable. This is where action and contemplation are linked together. In the contemplative journey, unless we see this necessary humiliation of the ego and defeat of the false self, we don’t undergo basic transformation. (Rohr, 2023)
We are alerted by the Spirit to the invitation to join Jesus and discover the path to fullness of life in our relationship with Him.
References
Crawford, D. (2023, June 22). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. Creighton University's Online Ministries. Retrieved July 20, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/072023.html
Exodus, CHAPTER 3. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved July 20, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/exodus/3?13
Matthew, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 20, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/11?28
Meditation on Matthew 11:28-30. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved July 20, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/07/20/737521/
Psalms, PSALM 105 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 20, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/105?1
Rohr, R. (2023, July 20). The View from the Top — Center for Action and Contemplation. CAC Daily Meditations 2023. Retrieved July 20, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-view-from-the-top-2023-07-20/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 20, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=jul20
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