COLLECT: “ALMIGHTY GOD, WHO COMMAND US TO PREPARE THE WAY FOR CHRIST THE LORD, GRANT IN YOUR KINDNESS, WE PRAY, THAT NO INFIRMITY MAY WEARY US AS WE LONG FOR THE COMFORTING PRESENCE OF OUR HEAVENLY PHYSICIAN. WHO LIVES AND REIGNS WITH YOU IN THE UNITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, GOD, FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN”.
Is 40:25-31; Ps 102:1-4,8,10 and Mt 11:28-30.
There is a wise saying that “Experience is the best teacher”. Its Dagaare equivalent is: “Duo ba laara o ma nyinii”. The lesson is that it is when we go through certain experiences and conditions in life that we can understand, appreciate and appraise the same experiences other people are going through.
This may also allow us to offer them any necessary or needed assistance and support they need from us. By becoming one like us, Jesus experienced all our human conditions except sin. In his humanity, Jesus experienced some of our human weaknesses. He was tempted and he suffered and underwent pain, tortured as he carried his cross. He was crucified on the cross and he died on it. After experiencing all these ordeals, he won salvation for us.
Having experienced our situation and conditions in this world, Jesus today invites all those who labour and are burdened to come to him and he will give them rest. They should take his yoke upon themselves and learn from him: how he comported himself when he encountered similar conditions. His yoke is easy and his burden light, Jesus assures us.
The troubles, challenges, pain, persecutions, disappointments and what have you we go through in this world are burdens, too heavy sometimes to carry. During the time of Jesus, the heavy burden the people were carrying was the interpretation of the Mosaic Law with its requirements by the Scribes and the Pharisees.
The strict observance of all the requirements of the Law was a heavy burden on the people. In our generation, our burdens/heavy loads might be different, not necessarily the strict observance of laws and their requirements.
The troubles, disappointments, frustrations, painful experiences, challenges in life, human and natural disasters, etc., are burdens we carry in this world. Jesus assures us today that we are not and should not carry them alone. He encourages us to come to him with our yokes for him to help us carry them.
Indeed, “they that hope in the Lord will receive their strength”. He is, however, not promising to take our burdens away from us. Rather, he is aware of our burdens, and he promises to supply the yoke to assist us carry or go through them: “Take my yoke upon you….My yoke is easy, and my burden is light”. Indeed, our burdens will be easier to bear/carry when we bring them to Jesus in faith. We should know that we are never alone in our difficulties, challenges, sorrows and disappointments.
The Lord is always there taking the lead of us as well as accompanying us behind. One thing is that, whenever our burdens are too heavy for us to carry, Jesus lifts us up with the burdens; otherwise, they may weigh us down.
What is burdening you these days in life? Is the burden from the family? Is it from your workplace/office, or from the Church, or from your political party, or from your community, or from where? Bring all of them to Jesus, and in faith, he will help you carry them.
A SONG: “On to Jesus, I surrender, on to him I freely give. I will ever love and trust him……. I surrender, I surrender all (2x)….”
Stay blessed.
WE MEDITATE TODAY, WEDNESDAY, ON THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES: ‘THE RESURRECTION, THE ASCENSION, THE DESCENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE ASSUMPTION, AND THE CORONATION’. (WE PRAY FAITH, HOPE, LOVE OF GOD, GRACE OF A HAPPY DEATH AND TRUST IN MARY’S INTERCESSION) “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen”.
PRAYER: “WE IMPLORE YOUR MERCY, LORD, THAT THIS DIVINE SUSTENANCE MAY CLEANSE US FROM OUR FAULTS AND PREPARE US FOR THE COMING FEASTS. THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN”.
Rev. Fr. Aloysius Kpiebaya, Catholic Diocese of Wa, UW/R, Ghana. (00233) 0207867239/0545462863. Email: aloybaya20@yahoo.
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