July 9, Sunday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Sunday Readings: 1st Reading: Zechariah 9:9–10; Second reading: Romans 8:9, 11–13; Gospel: Matthew 11:25–30
Peace is the greatest gift Jesus gave to his disciples. He also gives us the same peace and consolation that the world can’t give us. The readings for today talk about the peace that Jesus brought. In today’s first reading, the prophet Zechariah says that the Messiah is coming to his people. Israel expected a messiah who would come on a horse to fight for the liberation of his people. But Zechariah, on the contrary, says that the Messiah is coming not on a horse but on a donkey, which symbolizes peace. The Messiah is the one who gives peace to his people. In today’s gospel, Jesus talks about the peace and consolation he gives to us.
To receive the peace Jesus gives, one condition must be met. He says that God has revealed himself and truths about his son not to the greater ones but to the little ones. If we want the peace that Jesus offers, there is an innate call for us to act like children. Being like a child means being dependent on Jesus. The children are dependent on their parents. Like them, we need to have a dependency. We need to be dependent on God.
The second point is about the comfort that Jesus offered. Jesus calls to him all who are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and he promises them that he will give them rest. His rest is like a yoke. A yoke is a kind of bar that is laid on the bullock’s neck to ride the cart. It shares the burden of the cart.
Jesus calls us to take up his yoke. By taking up the yoke, Jesus shares the burden with us. He will come with us to assist us in carrying the heavy burden. To have this wisdom and to develop this attitude in our faith lives, we need the help of the Spirit of God. In today’s second reading, we read that the spirit of God dwells in us, and God helps us to grow spiritually.
In our lives, let’s be like children, with the utmost dependence on God and not on any other worldly things. Let's take up the yoke that Jesus has given us so that he can bear some of our burdens.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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