Fourteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A, July 09, 2017.
1st Reading: Book of Zechariah 9:9-10.
Thus says the LORD: Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion, shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem! See, your king shall come to you; a just savior is he, Meek, and riding on an ass, on a colt, the foal of an ass. He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; The warrior’s bow shall be banished, and he shall proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. The word of the Lord.
Respo Ps:145(144):1-2.8-9.10-11.13cd-14.
R/. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
1st Reading: Romans 8:9.11-13.
But you are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit that dwells in you. Consequently, brothers, we are not debtors to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. The word of the Lord.
Holy Gospel: Matthew 11:25-30.
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 the childlike. 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.”The gospel of the Lord.
SUNDAY REFLECTIONS:
What a profound truth to understand! For many, if given the choice to be either a “little one” or “wise and learned” it can appear that being wise and learned is more attractive. The problem is that, according to Jesus, those who are little children are in fact far more wise and learned than those who simply act this way. Those who are childlike are the ones who have the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven revealed to them. They are given a special grace to penetrate the truths of God’s inner life. This reveals, in part, the simplicity of God’s inner life. God and His will are never confusing and complex. We may make Him seem confusing and, as a result, experience God’s wisdom as overly complex. But in reality, the truth and beauty of God is only discernable by the simple mind who lives in a humble way.
One tendency we can all have is to spend excessive time and energy trying to “figure out God’s will.” We can think, and think and think, talk and talk and talk, and in the end remain in confusion about this or that. If we find ourselves in this situation, of thinking too much and ending in confusion, then this is a sign that we may not be properly discerning the will of God and may not be allowing ourselves to properly hear Him speak. God speaks to us simply, clearly and only what we need to know, when we need to know. Therefore, it’s important to always approach our Lord in a humble and simple way, waiting for Him to speak the simple and profound truth we need to hear in His time. Ultimately, it comes down to patience with our Lord.
Together we pray: Dear Lord, help me to have a simple and childlike faith in You and, through this simple faith, come to know the beautiful mysteries You desire to reveal to me. Give me wisdom and knowledge, dear Lord, beyond what I could ever obtain by myself. Jesus, I trust in You that You alone will heal our sick brethren and set them free. May the souls of our faithful departed brethren rest in perfect peace, amen. Have a blessed and fulfilled Sunday.