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“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 your selves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light. Matt. 11:28-30 ( NABRE)
TAKE A BREAK – REST WITH JESUS! Rest
can be defined as stopping work or activity. It can be a
state or a period of refreshing freedom from exertion.
We all need a place to go when life becomes a burden
and we need to take a break. One place where we
know we can find rest is in the loving care of Jesus the
Christ. When we stop trying to work things out entirely
on our own and make time to be with Jesus in prayer,
we find rest, safety and peace. Perhaps this week we
should take a break from our daily routine and take our
concerns to Jesus in prayer. Take a break - Rest with
Jesus.
In the first reading, the prophet Zechariah tells
the Jews returning from exile in Babylon to take a
break and stop worrying about the future. In this
invitation to rest, Zechariah predicts the coming
Messiah, Jesus the Christ.
Zechariah, Haggai and Malachi are considered
the last of the twelve Minor Prophets. They are called
“minor” prophets, because they wrote less than the
Reading I: Zechariah 9:9-10
St. Maria Goretti and St. Peter Claver Parishes July 9, 2017
Volume 1, Issue 30
Come to Me and I
Will Give You
Rest.
four Major Prophets. They returned with the Jewish
exiles from Babylon around 520 B.C. In verses 9 to
10, Zechariah tells the returning exiles to rejoice and
shout for joy because their king, the successor of
David who will reign forever, is coming to them. Like
Moses, who was described as the “meekest man on
earth,” (Num. 12:3) the reign of a just and peaceable
king would be reminiscent of the deliverer described in
Isaiah 11:1-9 and Genesis 49:10-11. His rule would
not be signified by the horse and chariot, which were
symbols of war and destruction, but by the foal of a
donkey, an animal associated with a time of peace.
Through His reign, Ephraim (Israel) and Jerusalem
(Judah) would be united once again and His dominion
would extend to universal proportions. This prophecy
was remembered in Mt. 21:1-11 which is read on Palm
Sunday. Zechariah told the Jews to relax from their
rebuilding and worries and predicted the arrival of
Jesus Christ. DISCUSSION QUESTION: What words
can you say to someone who is working under heavy
burdens and worry?
Reading II: Romans 8:9, 11-13
TAKE A BREAK – REST WITH JESUS! In
the second reading, St. Paul told the Romans to
take a break from a life in the flesh and live in the
Spirit. He emphasized that to be a Christian means
to put aside the sinful desires of human nature and
live in the Holy Spirit of God. Romans Chapter 8 is
said to have more references to the Holy Spirit
than any other chapter in the New Testament.
St. Paul told the Roman Christians to rest in
Jesus Christ, because once baptized, a Christian
receives the Holy Spirit which is the Spirit of the
Father and the Son (v. 9 see also Jn. 14:23). This
Trinitarian indwelling makes new creatures of all
who are baptized. But in verse 13, St. Paul
reiterated that those who live sinful lives will not
find eternal rest with Jesus. They will die both a
mortal and a spiritual death. (Rom. 8:6) The bare
truth revealed here is that whoever knowingly and
willingly rejects Christ and His teachings, once
accepted, will not gain eternal life. However, our
spiritual life is restored through the Sacrament of
Reconciliation.
Life in the flesh creates heavy burdens that
can rob us of eternal life. St. Paul reminds us to
rest in the Spirit of Christ given to us at Baptism
and to abandon the heavy burdens of a wayward
and sinful world. Take a break from the world;
Rest in Jesus Christ. DISCUSSION QUESTION:
What did St. Paul mean when he said that if we
live in the flesh we will die?
When do You Rest?
The Catholic Catechism Teaches that Sunday is a Day of Rest.
2168 The third commandment of the Decalogue recalls the holiness of the Sabbath: “The seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD. 2173 The Gospel reports many incidents when Jesus was accused of violating the Sabbath law. But Jesus never fails to respect the holiness of this day. He gives this law its authentic and authoritative interpretation: “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” With compassion, Christ declares the Sabbath for doing good rather than harm, for saving life rather than killing. The Sabbath is the day of the Lord of mercies and a day to honor God. “The Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”
Bible Study - 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A
β
Monday
Read Romans 8:9. What does it mean to be
baptized in Christ?
Tuesday
Read Mat. 11:25-30. Spend thirty minutes in
silent prayer.
Wednesday
Read Romans 8:11-13. Ask someone you may
have offended to forgive you.
Thursday
Give financial assistance to someone in need.
Friday
Receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Bible Study - 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A Page 2
BURDEN In the New Testament several Greek words mean "burden." (1) baros, (βαṕos) “something heavy." Burdens of the day (Matt 20:12), the burden of duty to be borne, a difficult requirement (Acts 15:28; Rev 2:24). The burden of one's moral infirmities (Gal 6:2). (2) phortion,( φορτίον) "something to be borne." The obligation which Christ imposes (Matt 11:30); the legal ordinances of the Pharisees (Luke 11:46); a man's individual responsibility (Gal 6:5). Whether any clear and consistent distinction can be made between these two words is doubtful. Probably, however, phortion refers to the load as something to be borne, whether heavy or light, whilst baros may be an oppressive load. According to Lightfoot, baros may suggest a load of which a man may rightly rid himself should occasion serve, but phortion a burden which he is expected to bear, as every soldier carries his own pack. But most likely too much weight should not be given to these distinctions. (From International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Electronic Database Copyright © 1996, 2003, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
Resources: The Gospel According to Matthew, Introduction to the New Testament, Raymond E. Brown S.S. Doubleday New York, NY. p. 897; Romans John J. Pilch ; Collegeville Bible Commentary, The Liturgical Press, Collegeville Minn., p. 1088; Living Liturgy Spirituality, Celebration, and Catechesis for Sundays and Solemnities Year A 2014, Joyce Zimmerman, C. PP. S. Kathleen Harmon, S.ND. de N., Christopher W. Canlon, S. M. Liturgical Press Collegeville, MN. pp. 168-171; Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner; http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catechism;
This meditation is prepared by Deacon Terrel J. Broussard
for personal use in Adult Faith Formation at St. Peter Claver
and St Maria Goretti Parishes in New Orleans, La. ©2014
TAKE A BREAK – REST WITH JESUS!
Exhaustion can be fatal if left untreated. Complete
exhaustion is a condition that causes an extreme
decrease in energy. It generally stems from stress and
various diseases, such as cancer. Complete
exhaustion is often caused by mental stress, rather
than physical exertion. Mood swings and fatigue are
also signs of exhaustion. Since the dominant cause of
exhaustion is stress, relaxation exercises such as yoga
and anger management are prescribed treatments. In
other words, we should rest. The same is true
spiritually, when we become exhausted with the things
of life, we should rest in prayer with the Peacemaker,
Jesus the Christ. Take a break! Rest in Jesus.
In the Gospel reading, Jesus appears to be
resting after performing mighty deeds and miracles
that were not well received. He had worked many
miracles in Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum and
the residents of those cities did not believe in Him
(11:20-24). The apostles and the seventy-two
disciples were the only ones who believed. He
compared them to innocent children because they
repented of all of their sins and decided to follow Him.
(v. 25) He contrasts their conduct with those of Jews
who glorified their own knowledge of Mosaic Law.
Their self-righteousness made it difficult for them to
repent. Repentance is made possible through the
grace of obedience. The reception by His own people
was discouraging. However, He found rest in the fact
that His Father, through His Spirit, revealed the truth
of His mission to humble people, rather than to the
proud and mighty. Verses 25 and 27 show a unique
autobiographical sketch of Jesus. They reveal that the
dominant characteristic of His incarnation is His love
and obedience to the Father. (See also Jn. 7:29). The
word translated “praise” and “thank” in verse 25 is
derived from the Greek word that means, to give
praise, consent and confess, (ἐξομολογέω - exomologeo (ex-om-ol-og-eh'-o) is a hint of that
divine character.
In these verses, Jesus expresses His unity with
the Father. That unity is expressed in His obedience to
the Father and creates a joyous Trinitarian
relationship. Jesus found rest in obedience to the
father. He offers this yoke, that is, His obedience to us
as rest from a troubled world (v. 28-30). Discipleship,
therefore, is based on love and obedience to a sweet,
gentle and merciful God. Jesus teaches us that much
of the stress, discord and dissonance in our lives
comes from disobedience to the Word of God. He
offers eternal rest through His example of obedience.
Jesus invites us to take a break and rest in Him.
DISCUSSION QUESTION: Where do you find rest from
the troubles of this world?
Gospel: Matthew 11:25-30 Pray About It!