The WORD
today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/070917.cfm)
reminds me that I should come to and rest in Jesus.
Some say that sleep is for the
weak, that it is a waste of time. Sometimes, I believe that it is true. I want
to do a lot of things and I have very limited time. However, We need to sleep.
We need to rest. We need to recharge.
All
of us feel tired from time to time - be it from working, studying, serving, or
whatever we do. It's normal to feel tired. And the gospel reminds us what to
do, where we can get rest, and strength to carry on. In the gospel, Jesus invites us to
come to him for us to have rest.
God is all powerful and can do
anything. Aside from rest we get from coming to him, it can also enable us to
do great things if we allow ourselves to be used by him, to be refreshed by Him.
Jesus
is inviting us to come to Him because he
will give us rest. He will not solve our problems right then and
there. He will not make all our concerns and fears disappear. Rather, he will
help us put things in perspective.
He will help us feel the love of God,
and that it is what matters most. He will give us the peace and the strength to
go on – focusing on him and not on the world. He will help us realize that
things and concerns of this world are not as important as we think they are,
because everything will eventually disappear. What’s important is how we prepare
for eternity with Him. He will carry our
burdens and share the pain we are experiencing. Then, despite all
our problems, fears and concerns, we will find rest,
we will find true peace, knowing
that God loves us so much and that He is always there to help us.
However,
coming to Christ alone is not enough. We have to subject ourselves to Him. He is not an ATM we
can get money to get by, then go our way and forget about him. When we come to
him, we should do so in humility,
allowing him to change us, to mold us, to make us into the persons he wants us
to be, the persons we are destined to be. Then, we can find the rest and
strength only He can give.
Tired? You know what to do.
Father God,
Thank you for
today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for the reminder. Thank you
for another Sunday. Lord, my life is very busy right now. And there is a big
chance it will still get busier. Things can get tiring. Things can get
stressful. And in the middle of everything, there’s a big chance I might forget
you. I might forget the reason for all of these. Thank you for reminding me of
what I should do when I am tired. Help me surrender to you. Help me focus on
you. I ask that you refresh me so I can continue living for you. Fill me and
remind me of your great love, so I can continue with strength and perspective
from you. Amen.
Blessed
Sunday!
In
Christ,
-g-
July 9, 2017
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 100
Reading 1ZEC 9:9-10
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.
Responsorial PsalmPS 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13-14
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Reading 2ROM 8:9, 11-13
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 and sisters,
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.
AlleluiaCF. MT 11:25
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 11:25-30
"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."
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