FOURTEENTH (14TH) SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME A (Zechariah 9:9-10; Psalm 145:1-2, 8-11, 13-14; Romans 8:9, 11-13; Matthew 11:25-30). As we fully return to the Sunday readings in Ordinary Time we encounter Jesus as the fullest manifestation of God, a king yet meek and humble without any pageantry, divine yet not cut off from the human situation, a leader whose universal dominion comes without violence, and who leads us to know and become affiliated with God, his Father, and through him, our Father. Just as Moses, the meekest man on earth (Num. 12:3), who was God’s friend (Exo. 34:12, 17) as to encounter him “face to face” (Dt. 34:10) revealed the mind of God to the Israelites, even greater is Jesus who in his meekness, gentleness and simplicity of heart, as God’s Son much more than God’s friend, reveals fully the Father. The yoke of the Law that came through Moses was a guide to Israel’s code of conduct and manner of life in relations with God (Jer. 2:20; 5:5); the yoke that comes from following Jesus is not only lightened by him but catapults us into the divine milieu of knowing, loving and becoming at peace with God. Jesus does not pledge a free ride with/through life or the exemption of believers from the hassles, strives, hardships and rigours of life; he guarantees that they go through all these not alone or unaided, for he is with them, guided by his Spirit, offering them the secrets of surviving while living and enjoying the presence of God. His yoke is not really a yoke or unbearable burden but a bond of love, which joins us to him and through him in the Spirit, to the Father in heaven who have revealed in Christ the kingdom secrets. He knows the heart of the Father which he has revealed to us, making the new Law of the kingdom light since we have a lawgiver who knows and shares our human situation yet offers the key to our freedom, as adopted sons and daughters. The Gospel points to both the “heights” and the “depths” of Jesus in his unique incarnated identity, for the same person who shares our nature, evident in his meekness and simplicity, is the one who saves our nature as one whom the Father has handed over “all things” to: “No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son.” No wonder he gives thanks to his/our Father who, in his wisdom and graciousness, has reveal these secrets of the kingdom to ordinary folks like us (the little ones, the unlettered, unlearned and unwise, at least according to worldly standards – the same people he closely associated with in his life, the least of the brethren) and all with “childlike” dispositions, marked by humility, openness and docility (Sir. 2:17). These dispositions, evident and exemplified by Christ himself, as our perfect model and exemplar, help the believer in following Jesus, listening to his words knowing that he is our only Saviour and King, full of meekness, justice, compassion and graciousness, as we hear from the First Reading and the Psalm. Though he was promised to Zion as a Saviour-King who comes to his people meekly riding on an ass, we encounter him today as the fulfilment of that promised, another reason he called us blessed and fortunate: receiving freely the mysteries sought by ages. We are indeed blessed to have Jesus, but the question remain if we are really aware of such great privilege and whether we ever seek him where he is to be found. As sons and daughters of the new kingdom, the Church, our greatest guarantee of belongingness is the possession of the Spirit of Christ, who guides us through life and is able to raise up our mortal bodies at life’s end as we see in our model, Jesus. This Spirit was given to us at baptism, reinforced at confirmation and whenever we received the sacraments worthily or in some other forms of religious encounter/experience. Yet what is more important is how we allow this Spirit we received to guide our daily actions, helping us master ourselves: putting to death our old ways of thinking and acting, and allowing a renewal inside and outside of us. The joy of following Jesus is in knowing that we are not alone. This calls for an acceptance of his reign and dominion in one’s life, a recognition that he is truly the King, Saviour and Lord of our entire life and that we are a part of his peaceful, loving and gracious will to establish his reign in the entire world, a state impossible without a childlike attitude. Looking at him as our exemplar, the author and finisher of our faith, who even though was God humbled himself in obedience to his Father to save us, we can only sincerely pray: Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make our hearts like unto yours. May the Most Sacred Heart Sunday not only harbour us but also share its unfathomable and inexhaustible richness with us who seek to know the joys and secrets of being the children of the kingdom. Let us respond to his caring invitation: “Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened and I will give you rest.” What is holding us? Why suffer alone when we have such a great friend in Jesus, who will all our sorrow share? Believe his words: “Come to me” and not to another for to come to him, who is Immanuel, is to come to your final answer, God. Though he makes no noise nor causes any uproar, he has the password to your life’s questions in search for answers and rest for your soul. Like Isaiah prophesied, he will not break a bruised reed nor quench the smouldering wick yet his glory, justice and sovereignty will reach earth’s end over which he has all authority given to him for he has promised: “Know that I am with you always until the end of time.” In our weaknesses, worries, toils, labours and troubles, let us know and remember that we are special to God for according to Jesus, while “no one knows the Son except the Father and no one knows the Father except the Son,” you have been providentially marked for blessing to be among the blessed for he who knows the Father added “and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” May our ignorance, arrogance, pride, complexities and even intelligence or learning not exclude us from among the “little ones’ the Lord has revealed himself to. Let us all, in humility, approach the throne of grace and mercy in the Eucharist where the meekness and humility of Jesus is epitomised to the point that he gives us himself; in receiving him we become him/like unto him and are called to imitate him. Happy Sunday.
Posted on: Sun, 06 Jul 2014 04:32:59 +0000
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