I Will Give You Rest
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A (09/07/2023)
(Zechariah 9:9-10; Psalm 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13-14; Romans 8:9, 11-13; Matthew 11:25-30)
Fr. Samuel Odeh
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
One of the benefits of serving God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ is that we receive rest for our souls. Serving God sets us free from many burdens that those who have not welcomed the message of Christ have to face. This has to do more with the God we serve, with who he is, and what he does.
In our first reading from the prophet Zechariah, God, coming as Savior of his people, comes to us as a humble winner riding a young donkey. He puts an end to wars within us and gives us peace. Today’s Psalm tells us that “The Lord is kind and full of compassion, slow to anger and full of mercy. How good is the Lord to all, compassionate to all his creatures” (Psalm 145:8-9). In our second reading from St Paul’s letter to the Romans, the Apostle begs us to allow the Holy Spirit we received at Baptism take control of our whole person. It is not right to split the human person into body and soul in such a way that they are separate. If we let the Spirit take charge of our whole person, we will be able to please God correctly and in the right ways and win more of his blessings. “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God” (Romans 8:14). In today’s gospel reading Jesus asks us to take his yoke of service and faithfulness to God upon our shoulders and to learn from him because he is “gentle and lowly in heart”. If we imitate Jesus and try to resemble him in his kindness to others and in his humility before God, we shall be rewarded with happiness and peace that nothing else can give. Serving God is more restful and easier than refusing to serve him. It is more profitable to serve God in the gentle and humble heart of Jesus than any other way.
Today we thank God that he is the God we serve and not another. We thank him for his patience and kindness towards us. We ask His Holy Spirit to make us pleasing to him. May we imitate Jesus in his gentle and humble heart. May our worship of God and our service to Christ and our neighbors bring us peace and blessings. Amen.
