Study and Meditations on this Sunday's Scripture Readings

[Fidelis]

A meditation of the 1st Reading for practical application from Catholic Matters:

APPLICATION: By baptism we were made adopted sons of God, because Christ, in becoming God-Incarnate, made us his brothers. We, therefore, share in the divine life and receive the spirit of God. The first effect of this indwelling of the Spirit in us, is what theologians call, sanctifying grace. As long as we retain this state of grace, we are living in union with the Blessed Trinity, and are moving daily closer to our eternal inheritance. This eternal inheritance is for all men, because Christ’s Incarnation was decreed from all eternity so that all men could live forever after their life-span on this earth. People who, through no fault of their own, have not been able to receive baptism or to know of the Christian faith, will be provided for by God, whose power is infinite. St. Paul is writing to Christian converts in this letter and deals only with them.

The man who knowingly and willingly rejects Christ and his teaching, either by refusing to learn of it when he could, or by refusing to live up to his teaching once accepted, cannot expect and will not get, that eternal life of happiness. This is a truth that should make all of us stop and think. We are Christians by baptism, but are we living according to the Christian rule of life? Are we, at this moment, living in union with the Blessed Trinity, through the sanctifying grace of the Holy Spirit within us?

Though we may be struggling along with many minor lapses in our lives every day, if we are not conscious of any serious offense against God, the answer is yes, because we wipe out those minor lapses everytime we make an act of love of God and beg his pardon for our mistakes and weaknesses. But if we have sinned seriously and have not yet repented of such serious offenses, then we have not the grace of the Holy Spirit in us and we shall have lost our inheritance in heaven if death finds us in this state.

Here it is well to call to mind the infinite mercy of God. St. Paul, as we said, is speaking of the ideal Christian, and therefore does not speak of repentance as he does elsewhere. Christ, our loving Savior, while asking us to carry our cross and follow him daily on the road of self-mortification, knew full well for he was God as well as man, that even the best could fail at times. He therefore left us a sacrament, which can wipe out even grave sins, provided we receive it with true repentance. This sacrament of God’s mercy—the Sacrament of Penance—not only wipes out our sins but brings back, to dwell within us once more, the Holy Spirit with his sanctifying grace. And besides, as every instructed Christian knows, if because of circumstances we cannot receive this sacrament, a fervent act of contrition will produce the same effects.

A Christian who continues living a sinful life, without a thought for his eternal welfare, is living in a fool’s paradise if he persuades himself that he will get “time yet” for confessing his sins to a priest or to say a fervent act of contrition, and thus put things right with God. Death is always sudden and unexpected, even for one who has spent months ill in hospital. In ninety-nine cases out of every hundred, the desire to live, which is innate in us because we were destined by God for an eternal life, will push the thought of death out of one’s mind.

There is one way to remove all the worry as to how death will find us, and that is, to follow St. Paul’s advice: to live always ready for death. This is not easy for many of us, but when we think of what is at stake—all eternity in happiness or in misery—it is a small premium to pay for so great a reward.

 

[Fidelis]

Gospel Reading: Matthew 11:25-30

* Right before this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus has just spoken about the imprisoned John the Baptist (11:1-19), and condemned the unrepentant towns that would not heed his message (11:20-24). This in spite of the many miracles he had performed there.

* Now Jesus prays to God, his Father, in praise and thanksgiving that, even though the Gospel is rejected by those who are considered the mighty and educated in the world, it’s message is embraced by the childlike (literally, “infants”) who are open to it. This is due entirely to the generous initiative of the Father (verse 26).

* In language reminiscent of St. John’s Gospel (John 3:35; 10:14-15; 17:25), Jesus describes the unique intimacy that he has with his Father. We catch glimpses here of that great mystery that is the Holy Trinity (verse 27).

* Finally, Jesus invites his listeners who are weighed down by the impossible demands of the Jewish law with its heavy prescriptions (Matthew 23:4; Acts 15:10) to take upon them his yoke, which they will find light, and under which they will find rest. The yoke of Jesus is one of love and obedience, under which we also will find our heavenly rest (Jeremiah 6:16; Hebrews 4:1-11).

Here is the Gospel Reading as we will hear it this Sunday:

At that time Jesus exclaimed:
“I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to little ones.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows the Son except the Father,
and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

“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.”

 

[Fidelis]

From the Navarre Bible commentary:

Jesus Thanks His Father
-----------------------
*[25] At that time Jesus declared, "I thank Thee, Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, that Thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; [26] yea, Father, for such was Thy gracious will. *

25-26. The wise and understanding of this world, that is, those who rely on their own judgment, cannot accept the revelation which Christ has brought us. Supernatural outlook is always connected with humility. A humble person, who gives himself little importance, sees; a person who is full of self-esteem fails to perceive supernatural things.
*
[27] All things have been delivered to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him. *

27. Here Jesus formally reveals His divinity. Our knowledge of a person shows our intimacy with Him, according to the principle given by St. Paul: “For what person knows a man’s thoughts except the spirit of the man which is in him?” (1 Corinthians 2:11). The Son knows the Father by the same knowledge as that by which the Father knows the Son. This identity of knowledge implies oneness of nature; that is to say, Jesus is God just as the Father is God.

[28] Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. [29] Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light."

28-30. Our Lord calls everyone to come to Him. We all find things difficult in one way or another. The history of souls bears out the truth of these words of Jesus. Only the Gospel can fully satisfy the thirst for truth and justice which sincere people feel. Only our Lord, our Master–and those to whom He passes on His power–can soothe the sinner by telling him, “Your sins are forgiven” (Matthew 9:2). In this connection Pope Paul VI teaches: “Jesus says now and always, `Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ His attitude towards us is one of invitation, knowledge and compassion; indeed, it is one of offering, promise, friendship, goodness, remedy of our ailments; He is our comforter; indeed, our nourishment, our bread, giving us energy and life” (“Homily on Corpus Christi”, 13 June 1974).

“Come to Me”: the Master is addressing the crowds who are following Him, “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). The Pharisees weighed them down with an endless series of petty regulations (cf. Acts 15:10), yet they brought no peace to their souls. Jesus tells these people, and us, about the kind of burden He imposes: “Any other burden oppresses and crushes you, but Christ’s actually takes weight off you. Any other burden weighs down, but Christ’s gives you wings. If you take a bird’s wings away, you might seem to be taking weight off it, but the more weight you take off, the more you tie it down to the earth. There it is on the ground, and you wanted to relieve it of a weight; give it back the weight of its wings and you will see how it flies” (St. Augustine, “Sermon” 126).

“All you who go about tormented, afflicted and burdened with the burden of your cares and desires, go forth from them, come to Me and I will refresh you and you shall find for your souls the rest which your desires take from you” (St. John of the Cross, “Ascent of Mount Carmel”, Book 1, Chapter 7, 4).

 

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From the 1859 Haydock Commentary:

Christ calls to him such as are sensible of their burdens

25 At that time Jesus answered, and said: I give thanks to thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to little ones.

Ver. 25. Jesus answered, &c. lit. Jesus answering, said: where we may take notice, that answering, in the style of the Scripture, is often put when it is no answer to any thing that was said before. (Witham) — Because thou hast hid, &c. Jesus gives thanks to his heavenly Father, because he had revealed the secret of his coming to his disciples, who, according to the false opinion of men, are called children and fools, and had hid it from the Scribes and Pharisees, whom he in ridicule calls the wise and prudent. By this prayer, he also begs that his heavenly Father would complete what he had begun in his apostles. (St. Jerome) — Christ does not rejoice that it was not revealed to the wise and prudent, but because it was revealed to his little ones. (St. Thomas Aquinas)

26 Yea, Father; for so hath it seemed good in thy sight.

Ver. 26. Yea, Father, &c. St. Chrysostom interprets this passage as if Christ would say, Go on, Father, as you have begun; or the sense may be, I give thee thanks, O Father, that it has pleased thee to act thus, that since the wise men of this world have rejected the gospel, thou hast deigned to manifest it to little ones. (Menochius)

*27 All things are delivered to me by my Father. *And no one knoweth the Son, but the Father: neither doth any one know the Father, but the Son, and he to whom it shall please the Son to reveal him.

28 Come to me, all you that labour, and are burdened, and I will refresh you.*

Ver. 28. All you that, &c. That is, you who are wearied with the heavy load of your sins, and the grievous yoke of the old law. (Menochius)

29 Take up my yoke upon you, and learn of me, because I am meek, and humble of heart: and you shall find rest to your souls.
**
Ver. 29.* Take up my yoke, &c. Fear not the yoke of Christ, for it is a yoke of the greatest sweetness. Be not disheartened when he mentions a burden, because it is a burden exceeding light. If then our Saviour says, that the way of virtue is exceeding narrow, and replete with difficulties and dangers, we must call to mind that it is so to the slothful only. Perform therefore with alacrity what is required, and then will all things be easy; the burden will be light, and the yoke sweet. (St. Chrysostom, hom. xxxix.)

30 For my yoke is sweet and my burden light.

Ver. 30.* For my yoke is sweet, &c*. For though, in regard of our weak nature, it be a very heavy yoke, yet the grace of God renders it easy and light, because our Lord himself helps us to bear it, according to that of the prophet Osee, (Chap. xi, ver. 4)* I will be unto them as he that takes the yoke from off their heads*. St. Bernard says, that our Saviour sweetens by the spiritual unction of his grace, all the crosses, penances, and mortifications of religious souls. St. Augustine owns, that before he knew the power of grace, he could never comprehend what chastity was, nor believe that any one was able to practice it; but the grace of God renders all things easy. (Rodriguez, On Mortification. Chap. xix.)

 

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The Gospel Reading is cited or alluded to in the Catechism of the Catholic Church in the following paragraphs:

2603 The evangelists have preserved two more explicit prayers offered by Christ during his public ministry. Each begins with thanksgiving. In the first, Jesus confesses the Father, acknowledges, and blesses him because he has hidden the mysteries of the Kingdom from those who think themselves learned and has revealed them to infants, the poor of the Beatitudes. His exclamation, “Yes, Father!” expresses the depth of his heart, his adherence to the Father’s “good pleasure,” echoing his mother’s Fiat at the time of his conception and prefiguring what he will say to the Father in his agony. The whole prayer of Jesus is contained in this loving adherence of his human heart to the mystery of the will of the Father.

544 The kingdom belongs to the poor and lowly, which means those who have accepted it with humble hearts. Jesus is sent to “preach good news to the poor”; he declares them blessed, for “theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” To them - the “little ones” the Father is pleased to reveal what remains hidden from the wise and the learned. Jesus shares the life of the poor, from the cradle to the cross; he experiences hunger, thirst and privation. Jesus identifies himself with the poor of every kind and makes active love toward them the condition for entering his kingdom.

2785 Second, a humble and trusting heart that enables us “to turn and become like children”: for it is to “little children” that the Father is revealed.

• [The prayer is accomplished] by the contemplation of God alone, and by the warmth of love, through which the soul, molded and directed to love him, speaks very familiarly to God as to its own Father with special devotion.
  Our Father: at this name love is aroused in us . . . and the confidence of obtaining what we are about to ask. . . . What would he not give to his children who ask, since he has already granted them the gift of being his children? *

151 For a Christian, believing in God cannot be separated from believing in the One he sent, his “beloved Son”, in whom the Father is “well pleased”; God tells us to listen to him. The Lord himself said to his disciples: “Believe in God, believe also in me.” We can believe in Jesus Christ because he is himself God, the Word made flesh: “No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.” Because he “has seen the Father”, Jesus Christ is the only one who knows him and can reveal him.

459 The Word became flesh to be our model of holiness: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me.” “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.” On the mountain of the Transfiguration, the Father commands: “Listen to him!” Jesus is the model for the Beatitudes and the norm of the new law: “Love one another as I have loved you.” This love implies an effective offering of oneself, after his example.

 

[Fidelis]

A meditation of the Gospel Reading for practical application from Catholic Matters:

APPLICATION: Do we really appreciate the fact that we are Christians, that we know, through Christ’s revelation, that the God of heaven, the infinite Creator of the universe, has deigned to call himself our Father, and gives us the right to call him Father? Through that same Christian revelation we also know that he is infinitely merciful and cares for each single one of us more than any human father can care for his child. That he not only put us into this world and provides for us here, but that when our days here come to an end, he has prepared an everlasting abode for us, in his kingdom of peace and happiness.

Think for a moment what our world, or the people in it, were like before Christ came on earth. Ninety-seven percent of those then on earth adored false gods and offered sacrifices to idols made of wood or stone. Idolatry often made life on earth unbearable and gave no hope whatsoever of any after-life. The remaining three per cent was made up of the Chosen People who had a very limited knowledge of the true God. He had shown mercy and kindness toward them, but they feared him rather than loved him. With rare and notable exceptions, they served him out of self-interest, to get from him temporal gifts, rather than out of real gratitude and love. Their relationship to him was more like that of slaves toward their masters than that of children toward a kind and loving Father. Their life was earth-centered and their ambitions were worldly. He had revealed little or nothing to them about a life after death. The prophets spoke of a great, happy and prosperous age which was to come, when God would send his Messiah, but the most they could hope for in the way of a future life or immortality, was to live on in their descendants, so that, to be childless was one of their greatest disasters.

Pagans and Jews had the same hardships of life to face as we have, and even greater ones. They earned their daily bread with the sweat of brow and body. Their illnesses were more frequent and less bearable than ours, for they had not the medical helps that we have. Death came to young and old then as it does now, but for them it was a final parting from loved ones, and no hope of a future happy meeting served to lighten their sorrow. All their crosses were crushing weights, sent to make life more miserable. Life on earth was passed in gloom and darkness and there was no shining star in the heavens to beckon them on or give them hope.

Surely God is good to us, to put us into this world at this day and age, and give us the light of faith, and the knowledge of God and of his loving plans for us, which make the burdens of this life so relatively light and even so reasonable for us. We still have to earn our bread. We still have sickness and pains. We still have death stalking the earth, but unlike the people before Christ we now see a meaning to all these trials.

The yoke of Christ is not really a yoke but a bond of love, which joins us to him, and through him, to our loving Father in heaven. The rule of life which he asks us to keep, if we are loyal followers of his, is not a series of prohibitions and don’ts. It is rather a succession of sign-posts on the straight road to heaven, making our journey easier and safer. He does, ask us to carry our cross daily, that is, to bear the burden of each day’s duty, but once the cross is grasped firmly and lovingly it ceases to be a burden.

Ours is a world which is in an all-out search for new idols. It is a world which has left the path marked out by Christ, and forgotten or tried to forget, that man’s life does not end with death. To be a Christian and to have the light of faith to guide our steps in this neo-pagan darkness, is surely a gift, and a blessing from God, for which we can never thank him enough. Thank you, God, for this gift. Please give us the grace and the courage to live up to it and to die in the certainty that we shall hear, as we shut our eyes on the light of this world, the consoling words, “come you blessed of my Father, possess the kingdom prepared for you.”

 

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Some questions on the Readings for personal study and reflection:

* In the 1st Reading in which the prophet announces the coming of the Messiah, what were the characteristics of the Messiah to be? How might that contrast with the image some might have of a solely conquering-type Messiah?

* In the 2nd Reading, what does it mean to live in “the flesh”? In “the Spirit”?  What should mark the life of one who is living in the Spirit?

* Why is the gospel hidden from the “wise and the learned”? Who truly knows God?

* What does Jesus mean by taking up his “yoke”? By the “rest” he promises those who do?

* How are you like the “wise and learned”? Like the “childlike”? Which should you be?

* What is the difference between the yoke Jesus’ listeners are suffering under and the yoke he offers? Between your yoke and his?

* Is Jesus’ yoke resting lightly on you or are you struggling to get out from under it?

 

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From the Daily Scripture Reading & Meditation website:

"Heavenly things revealed to babes"

Scripture: Matthew 11:25-30

Meditation: Do you want to know the mind and heart of God? Jesus thanks the Father in heaven for revealing to his disciples the wisdom and knowledge of God. What does Jesus’ prayer tell us about God and about ourselves? First, it tells us that God is both Father and Lord of earth as well as heaven. He is both Creator and Author of all that he has made, the first origin of everything and transcendent authority, and at the same time, goodness and loving care for all his children. All fatherhood and motherhood is derived from him (Ephesians 3:14-15). Jesus’ prayer also contains a warning that pride can keep us from the love and knowledge of God. What makes us ignorant and blind to the things of God? Certainly intellectual pride, coldness of heart, and stubbornness of will shut out God and his kingdom. Pride is the root of all vice and the strongest influence propelling us to sin. It first vanquishes the heart, making it cold and indifferent towards God. It also closes the mind to God’s truth and wisdom for our lives. What is pride? It is the inordinate love of oneself at the expense of others and the exaggerated estimation of one’s own learning and importance.

Jesus contrasts intellectual pride with child-like simplicity and humility. The simple of heart are like “babes” in the sense that they see purely without pretense and acknowledge their dependence and trust in the one who is greater, wiser, and more trustworthy. They seek one thing – the “summum bonum” or “greatest good” who is God himself. Simplicity of heart is wedded with humility, the queen of virtues, because humility inclines the heart towards grace and truth. Just as pride is the root or every sin and evil, so humility is the only soil in which the grace of God can take root. It alone takes the right attitude before God and allows him as God to do all. God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (Proverbs 3:34, James 4:6). Only the humble in heart can receive true wisdom and understanding of God and his ways. Do you submit to God’s word with simple trust and humility?

Jesus makes a claim which no one would have dared to make: He is the perfect revelation of God. One of the greatest truths of the Christian faith is that we can know the living God. Our knowledge of God is not simply limited to knowing something about God, but we can know God personally. The essence of Christianity, and what makes it distinct from Judaism and other religions, is the knowledge of God as our Father. Jesus makes it possible for each of us to personally know God as our Father. To see Jesus is to see what God is like. In Jesus we see the perfect love of God – a God who cares intensely and who yearns over men and women, loving them to the point of laying down his life for them upon the Cross. Jesus is the revelation of God – a God who loves us completely, unconditionally, and perfectly. Jesus also promises that God the Father will hear our prayers when we pray in his name. That is why Jesus taught his followers to pray with confidence, Our Father who art in heaven …give us this day our daily bread. Do you pray to your Father in heaven with joy and confidence in his love and care for you?

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, 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. We are commanded to put on the “sweet yoke of Jesus” and to live the “heavenly way of life and happiness”. 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. 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 sin 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 burden of glory and yoke of freedom from sin. The yoke which Jesus invites us to embrace is his way of 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?

• “Lord Jesus, give me the child-like simplicity and purity of faith to gaze upon your face with joy and confidence in your all-merciful love. Remove every doubt, fear, and proud thought which would hinder me from receiving your word with trust and humble submission.” *

 

[Fidelis]

From Dr. Scott Hahn at The St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology:

A Yoke for the Childlike

Jesus is portrayed in today’s Gospel as a new and greater Moses.

Moses, the meekest man on earth (see Numbers 12:3), was God’s friend (see Exodus 34:12,17). Only he knew God “face to face” (see Deuteronomy 34:10). And Moses gave Israel the yoke of the Law, through which God first revealed himself and how we are to live (see Jeremiah 2:20; 5:5).

Jesus too is meek and humble. But He is more than God’s friend. He is the Son who alone knows the Father. He is more also than a law-giver, presenting himself today as the yoke of a new Law, and as the revealed Wisdom of God.

As Wisdom, Jesus was present before creation as the firstborn of God, the Father and Lord of heaven and earth (see Proverbs 8:22; Wisdom 9:9). And He gives knowledge of the holy things of the kingdom of God (see Wisdom 10:10).

In the gracious will of the Father, Jesus reveals these things only to the “childlike”—those who humble themselves before Him as little children (see Sirach 2:17). These alone can recognize and receive Jesus as the just savior and meek king promised to daughter Zion, Israel, in today’s First Reading.

We too are called to childlike faith in the Father’s goodness, as sons and daughters of the new kingdom, the Church.

We are to live by the Spirit we received in baptism (see Galatians 5:16), putting to death our old ways of thinking and acting, as Paul exhorts in today’s Epistle. Our “yoke” is to be His new law of love (see John 13:34), by which we enter into the “rest” of His kingdom.
As we sing in today’s Psalm, we joyously await the day when we will praise His name forever in the kingdom that lasts for all ages. This is the sabbath rest promised by Jesus—first anticipated by Moses (see Exodus 20:8-11), but which still awaits the people of God (see Hebrews 4:9).

 

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From Presentation Ministries:

THE YOKE’S ON YOU

“Take My yoke upon your shoulders and learn from Me…My yoke is easy and My burden light.” —Matthew 11:29, 30

A yoke is a piece of wood or metal placed over the necks of two animals walking side-by-side. It keeps them in line when plowing a field. The yoke changes independence into dependence. The two animals must depend on each other to save their own neck. If one of the animals balks, or runs ahead or sideways, both get a stiff neck.

In the USA, we celebrate Independence Day tomorrow. We are culturally conditioned to desire independence rather than dependence. We want to do our own thing, not go where someone forces us to go. When we’re in a yoke, we’re not independent. In His mercy, Jesus does not relieve us of His yoke, but instead slips our yoke upon His own neck and plows the straight line with us (see Lk 9:62). No wonder Jesus’ yoke is not heavy (Mt 11:29); Jesus our Strength (Phil 4:13) is bearing it with us.

When wearing Jesus’ yoke, we can’t just follow every whim and fancy, or we’ll get a stiff neck. We’ll be “stiff-necked people” like the Old Testament Israelites (Dt 9:6). We can’t follow the ways of the flesh, for Jesus isn’t walking that way (Rm 8:7-8). If we keep looking back, we can see why we’re not fit for the kingdom of God (Lk 9:62); we’d have such a sore neck that we’d be of little use to the Lord. So take Jesus’ yoke, learn from Him, and follow His footsteps (Lk 9:23).

Prayer: Jesus, I am Your slave (Col 3:24). Yet You love me so much You walk with me. I pledge my life to serve You.
**
Promise:** “If by the Spirit you put to death the evil deeds of the body, you will live.” —Rm 8:13
**
Praise:** Alleluia! By faith in Jesus risen, we will live forever in the perfect happiness of heaven!

 

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A meditation on the 2nd Reading from The Word Among Us devotional magazine:

**Meditation: **Romans 8:9,11-13

“If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Romans 8:13)

What images come to your mind when you hear the word “holiness”? Do you think of Mother Teresa’s radiant face as she fed the poor and comforted the dying? Or the serenity and composure that seem to mark every portrait of the Virgin Mary that was ever painted? Does conjuring up these images only make you more frustrated, as you see your own failings? Well, don’t worry. Paul teaches us today that holiness does not just settle on special people automatically. It is the result of our cooperation with grace—a cooperation that can be costly.

In today’s second reading, Paul admonishes us to do away with those things in our lives that are opposed to the Lord and his way of life. They could be specific “deeds of the body,” like lying, stealing, or impurity. But, they could also be attitudes of the mind that separate us from the Lord: prejudice, resentments, judgments, and arrogance. Paul promises that as we put these things to death—as we turn away from them and fight their influence in our lives—we will become holy. We can even become saints!

But there’s a catch. Paul urges us to do all this “by the Spirit.” His own experience had taught him that human effort alone could not bring about the holiness he sought. He needed the help that only God could give—and so do we.

So get into the habit of turning to the Holy Spirit during the course of your day. Ask him for his divine power to help you say “no” to sin and “yes” to Christ. Start paying attention to his promptings. He’s always speaking; we just need to learn how to listen—to our consciences, to the Scriptures, to our loved ones, and even to the thoughts that pop into our heads. The Spirit is on your side. He wants to make you holy!

“Come, Holy Spirit, into my heart. Transform my thoughts, intentions, and actions by your grace.”

Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion:

1. In the first reading, we see the contrast between the Savior who is “meek” and his powerful impact on bringing “peace to the nations.” Can you share an example from your own life where you succeeded by meekness instead of power?

1. In the first reading, the Lord also tells us to “Rejoice heartily” and to “shout for joy.” In the responsorial psalm, the psalmist tells us to praise, extol, and bless the Lord. What are some things the Lord has done in your life that would cause you to do this?

1. In the responsorial psalm, we also read of the Lord who is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness”. With whom might the Lord be asking you to respond in this matter this week?

1. In the letter to the Romans, St. Paul asks us to “put to death the deeds of the body.” You can do this because, “You are not in the flesh; on the contrary you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you” (Romans 8:9). In your life, what “deeds of the body” do you need “to put to death”? How do you think the Lord wants you to do it?

1. In the Gospel, Jesus says that when it comes to revelation, his Father has “hidden these things from the wise and learned,” but he has “revealed them to little ones.” What do you think this means? What specifically can you do this week to open yourself to hear from the Lord in prayer, through Scriptures, or at Mass?

1. Jesus also says in the Gospel that he will make our heavenly Father known to us. In light of the following words of Jesus, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9), what do you think the Father is like?

1. The meditation encourages us to “get into the habit of turning to the Holy Spirit during the course of your day. Ask him for his divine power to help you say ‘no’ to sin and ‘yes’ to Christ.” How often do you do this? What steps can you take to make this a regular part of your day?

1. Take some time now to pray for a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit and ask Him to transform you more and more into the likeness of Jesus. Use the prayer at the end of the meditation as the starting point.

 

[Fidelis]

Numerous other resources on the Sunday Readings can be found here:

Free Republic Catholic Caucus: Sunday Mass Readings, 07-03-11, Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Have a blessed week!

 

[kelvinf]

From Presentation Ministries:

I still didn’t quite understand what Jesus meant by “Take my yoke upon you” until after reading this from the Presentation Ministries. Here, it’s perfectly explained!

 

[Fidelis]

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 10, 2011

To help us prepare for this coming Sunday, here are the readings, studies and reflections for this coming Sunday’s Scripture readings. This Sunday is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A.

Here are the Scripture readings from the U.S. Catholic bishops website.

My own weekly study can be found here under “Current Study.”

Here are three audio reflections on the readings by Sister Ann Shields, Dr. Scott Hahn, Fr. Robert Barron.

Here are a pair of Catholic Bible study podcasts (each about an hour long):

• St. Martha’s Adult Faith Formation.
• Franciscan Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother

The* Navarre Bible Commentary* for each reading can be viewed here.

Further study resources for the Readings: St. Charles Borromeo Bible Study can be found here, and Catholic Matters can be found here.

Please consider supporting those who provide these free resources.

Discussion, questions and charitable comments are always welcome. Have a blessed week!

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

 

[Fidelis]

1st Reading - Isaiah 55:10-11

The prophet Isaiah, in the first nine verses of this chapter 55, has been calling on the Chosen People to come to God (Yahweh): “to seek him while he is still to be found.” He begs them to turn back to Yahweh, “who is rich in forgiving,” if only the wicked will abandon their evil ways. He goes on to personify the "word of Yahweh which is sent forth, from Yahweh, to accomplish a task, which it does. It is probably here that St. John found the basis of his theology of the Logos—“the Word became flesh”—the idea is later developed in the Wisdom literature (Prov. 8: 22; Wis. 7: 22, etc.).

Here is the 1st Reading as we will hear it this Sunday:

Thus says the LORD:
Just as from the heavens
the rain and snow come down
and do not return there
till they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,
so shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
my word shall not return to me void,
but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.

 

[Fidelis]

From the Navarre Bible commentary on the 1st Reading:

Epilogue: Invitation to Partake of the Banquet of the Lord’s Covenant
----------------------------------------------------------------------
*[10] For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and return not thither but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it. *
**
55:10-11. **The prophet uses comparisons that are particularly meaningful to those who live in the arid countries of the East, to describe how very powerful the word of God is: it actually delivers the salvation that it promises. The personified word of God (cf. 'Ms 8:4; 9:9-10; 18:14-15) is a figure of the incarnation of Jesus Christ, the eternal Word of the Father, who comes down to save mankind. “The Word of God, he says, will not return to him empty and barren; rather, it will flourish in all things, nourished by the good deeds of those who obey and fulfill his teachings. The word is fulfilled when it is put into practice; if it is not put into practice, it remains barren and withered and starved. Listen carefully, then, when he tells of the food that nourishes him: ‘My food is to do the will of him who sent me’ (Jn 4:34)” (St Bernard, “In Cantica Canticorum”, 71, 12-13).

 

[Fidelis]

From the 1859 Haydock Commentary on the Douay-Rheims Bible:

*10 And as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and return no more thither, but soak the earth, and water it, and make it to spring, and give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

11 So shall my word be, which shall go forth from my mouth: it shall not return to me void, but it shall do whatsoever I please, and shall prosper in the things for which I sent it.

---

Ver. 11. *Sent it. *I will assuredly bring you from Babylon; and the rain shall sooner return upwards than I will break my promise.

 

[Fidelis]

The 1st Reading is not cited in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Here is a meditation on the 1st Reading for practical application from Catholic Matters:

**APPLICATION:**The word of God which came to the chosen people through the prophets, and the divinely inspired writers, came out of God’s loving interest in his people. He wanted to prepare them for the inheritance, the real “promised land,” that, when the messianic age (the “fulness of time”) came, would be theirs, provided their lives on earth were lived as they should be.

This word of God, this advice and admonition sent through his prophets, though valuable and Godlike, was but a type or shadow of the real Word of God, his divine Son, who came on earth to bring all men to heaven. He carried out the allotted task. He fulfilled his Father’s will to the letter, even when this meant a life of suffering and death on a cross on Calvary. He was, in fact, raised from the dead, and returned to heaven victorious, the leader of an innumerable host which will follow him until this earth ceases to be.

As Christians, we are united to the Word of God who became flesh. We are members of his body, the Church. We are his brothers, and with him co-heirs of heaven. God the Father intended all these privileges for us, and Christ, God the Son, earned them for us. The least we can do in return for such favors is to try to be worthy of them, by being loyal to our Christian vocation, and by ever remaining close in love to our Father and to his Son, our brother. To help us live the true Christian life, we still have also the word of God, spoken through the prophets and the inspired writers of the Old and New Testaments. We have in other words, the Holy Bible, the book of books, which, if read with attention and devotion, will not fail to inspire and move us to be grateful and loyal to our divine benefactors, the three Persons of the blessed Trinity.

Every Christian home should have the Holy Bible as one of its most useful and treasured possessions. It should not be an ornament on a book-shelf. It should be read, a page or two daily, by every member of the family. The new rite of Mass gives us three readings from the Bible each Sunday and feastday. These readings have been selected with great care, and each reading has a message, or lesson, for each one of us, to inspire us to greater love of God and of our Christian vocation. We should listen attentively to this “word of God.” He is speaking to us through these means. These sacred writings have been preserved down through the centuries for our benefit.

Let us thank out Father in heaven, who deigns to speak to us through the sacred writings, his “inspired word.” Let us respect these writings and use them for edification and eventual sanctification but greater ground still for our gratitude is the living Word of God who raised us up from being mere mortals to the status of adopted sonship, by means of his Word, his Son, who became flesh and dwelt among us for a time, in order to bring us in to heaven for all eternity.

 

[Fidelis]

2nd Reading - Romans 8:18-23

Last week we heard Saint Paul tell us that Christian life is lived in the Spirit and is destined for glory because Christian life is empowered by the Spirit. St. Paul stressed the gift of sonship of God which Christians received, together with the gift of the Holy Spirit, when they were baptized. In verses 16 and 17 he says: “The Spirit himself and our spirit bear united witness that we are children of God. And if we are children we are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, sharing his suffering so as to share his glory.” This week this theme is continued as he begins to describe our future glory.

Here is the 2nd Reading as we will hear it this Sunday:

Brothers and sisters:
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing
compared with the glory to be revealed for us.
For creation awaits with eager expectation
the revelation of the children of God;
for creation was made subject to futility,
not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it,
in hope that creation itself
would be set free from slavery to corruption
and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God.
We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now;
and not only that, but we ourselves,
who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,
we also groan within ourselves
as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

 

[Fidelis]

From the Navarre Bible commentary on the 2nd Reading:

Christians are Children of God (Continuation)
---------------------------------------------
[18] I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

18. “Who is there then”, St Cyprian comments, “who will not strive to attain so great a glory, by making himself God’s friend, to rejoice immediately with Christ, to receive the divine rewards after the pains and sufferings of this life? If it is glorious for soldiers of this world to return to their fatherland victorious after defeating the enemy, how much greater and more pleasing glory will there not be, once the devil is overcome, to return victorious to heaven …]; to bear with one the trophies of victory …]; to sit at God’s side when he comes to judge, to be a co-heir with Christ, to be made equal to the angels and to enjoy with the Patriarchs, with the Apostles and with the Prophets the possession of the Kingdom of heaven …]. A spirit secure in these supernatural thoughts stays strong and firm, and is unmoved by the attacks of demons and the threats of this world, a spirit strengthened by a solid and confident faith in the future …]. It leaves here with dignity and confidence, rejoicing in one moment to close its eyes which looked on men and the world, and to see God and Christ! …]. These are the thoughts the mind should have, this is how it ought to reflect, night and day. If persecution finds God’s soldier prepared in this manner, there will be no power capable of overcoming a spirit so equipped for the struggle” (“Epist. ad Fortunatum”, 13).

*[19] For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God; [20] for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of him who subjected it in hope; [21] because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God. *
**
19-21. **To make his point more vividly St Paul, in a metaphor, depicts the whole of creation, the material universe, as a living person, groaning in pain impatiently waiting for a future event, raising its head, straining to see something appear on the horizon.

The material world is indeed, through God’s design, linked to man and his destiny. “Sacred Scripture teaches that man was created ‘in the image of God,’ as able to know and love his Creator, and as set by him over all earthly creatures that he might rule them, and make use of them, while glorifying God” (Vatican II, “Gaudium Et Spes”, 12). The futility to which creation is subject is not so much corruption and death as the disorder resulting from sin. According to God’s plan material things should be resources which enable man to attain the ultimate goal of his existence. By using them in a disordered way, disconnecting them from God, man turns them into instruments of sin, which therefore are subject to the consequences of sin.

“Are we of the twentieth century not convinced of the overpoweringly eloquent words of the Apostle of the Gentiles concerning the ‘creation (that) has been groaning in travail together until now’ and ‘waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God’, the creation that’ was subjected to futility’? Does not the previously unknown immense
progress–which has taken place especially in the course of this century–in the field of man’s dominion over the world itself reveal—to a previously unknown degree–that manifold subjection ‘to futility’? …] The world of the previously unattained conquests of science and technology–is it not also the world ‘groaning in travail’ that ‘waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God’?” (John Paul II, “Redemptor Hominis”, 8).

Reestablishment of the order willed by God, bringing the whole world to fulfill its true purpose, is the particular mission of the Holy Spirit, the Giver of Life, the true Lord of history: "‘The arm of the Lord has not been shortened.’ God is no less powerful today than he was in other times; his love for man is no less true. Our faith teaches us that all creation, the movement of the earth and the other heavenly bodies, the good actions of creatures and all the good that has been achieved in history, in short everything, comes from God and is directed toward him.

“The action of the Holy Spirit may pass unnoticed because God does not reveal to us his plans, and because man’s sin obscures the divine gifts. But faith tells us that God is always acting. He has created us and maintains us in existence, and he is leading all creation by his grace towards the glorious freedom of the children of God” ([St] J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 130).

*[22] We know that the whole creation has been groaning in travail together until now; [23] and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait for adoption as sons, the redemption of
our bodies. *