DAILY MEDITATION: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest”

Liturgical day: Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

Gospel text (Mt 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 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."

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest”

Fr, Antoni POU OSB Monk of Montserrat
(Montserrat, Barcelona, Spain)

Today, Jesus shows us two realities that define Him: no one knows the Father except Him, and He is “meek and humble of heart” (Mt 11, 29). We can also discover two necessary attitudes to understand and live what Jesus offers us: simplicity and the desire to approach Him.

Wise and learned men often find difficult to enter into the mystery of God's Kingdom, because they are not open to the novelty of divine revelation; God never ceases to manifest Himself, but they believe that they already know everything and, therefore, God can no longer surprise them. The simple ones, on the other hand, like children at their best, are receptive, they are like a sponge that absorbs water, they have the capacity for surprise and admiration. There are also exceptions, and even, there are experts in human sciences who can be humble in terms of the knowledge of God.

In the Father, Jesus finds his rest, and his peace can be a refuge for all those who have been maladjusted by life: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11, 28). Jesus is humble, and humility is the sister of simplicity. When we learn to be happy through simplicity, then many complications unravel, many needs disappear, and in the end, we can rest. Jesus invites us to follow Him; He does not deceive us: being with Him is to carry His yoke, to assume the demand for love. We will not be spared suffering, but His burden is light, because our suffering will not come because of our selfishness, but we will suffer only what is necessary and no more, because of love and with the help of the Spirit. Also, let's not forget, "the tribulations suffered for God are softened by hope" (St. Ephrem).

Source: evangeli.net