Mother Church invites us to celebrate Sunday, July 09, 2023 as the 14th Sunday of ordinary time, year A. In the Entrance Antiphon we pray: “Within your temple, we ponder your loving kindness, O God. As your name, so also your praise reaches to the ends of the earth; your right hand is filled with justice. Amen”
In today’s first reading, the prophet Zechariah proclaims that the Messiah will come not like a mighty king, but as one who serves. He comes to us as a humble son of a village carpenter, riding on a donkey. But he who accepts and follows this humble king experiences true peace. The Son of God gives us the theme of this day’s Mass in Matthew’s Gospel when he says: “Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart.” Saint Paul, in the second reading from his letter to the Romans, explains that God’s friendship means that the Spirit of God dwells in the man of faith. He, however, urges us to put an end to the misdeeds of the body and stick to Jesus so as to be sharers of his resurrection and glory. In the course of this Eucharist, let us pray for grace of humility and generosity, especially to the stranger in our midst.
First Reading: Zechariah 9: 9-10.
Thus says the Lord: 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 a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 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 Euphrates to the ends of the earth.
Comment
The African Bible tells me that Zechariah’s prophetic mission began in 520 BC and lasted for two years. His message is contained in eight apocalyptic visions, each giving some warning and instruction about the rebuilding of the temple after the return of the Jewish people from exile, the protection and conduct of the people of Jerusalem, the purification of the priesthood and of temple worship, and the future of the messianic age.
The second half of the book, from where the passage of this day’s meditation is taken, deals with the coming messianic age, the return of all the exiles and the destruction of Judah’s enemies. This day’s reading gives one of the most famous messianic texts in Sacred Scripture, one which lies behind the Gospel account of our Lord’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Jn. 12:12-19). The Messiah-King enters his capital victorious, but not with the weapons of mass destruction. His is a humble victory; the arms he uses stem from God’s justice. Yet his kingdom will extend to the four corners of the world.
The themes the prophet handles in this reading are as relevant today as they were in his days, especially in our country Cameroon that is presently embroiled in war in the southwest and northwest regions and in the northern region. The prophet is telling our political leaders to put an end to the senseless wars and banish weapons of war from our midst so our people can rebuild their lives and live in peace. Throughout Africa, the social oppression of the poor and the weak by the political and economic classes makes a mockery of genuine religion. Only true justice and the practice of mutual kindness and compassion can build a society that is compatible with God’s will and that brings his blessing upon it.
Of particular importance to us, Christians, is the prophet’s teaching on the coming of the peaceful and peace-giving Messiah-King, who inaugurates the universal reign of God. This is none other than Jesus Christ, who first sends his Apostles only to the Jewish people, telling them, “Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel,” (Mt 10: 5-6). Unfortunately, the Jews reject him and that is when he turns his attention to non-Jews, sending out seventy-two others to evangelize and bring into the fold the Gentile land (Lk 10: 1-19).
Let us pray, with the Psalmist, for the courage to accept Christ as our Lord and Redeemer, who has come to save us from eternal damnation. “I will extol you, O my God and King, and I will bless your name forever and ever. Everyday I will bless you, and I will praise your name forever and ever because you are gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness. You are good to all and compassionate toward all your works. You are faithful in your words and holy in all your works. You lift up all who are falling and raise up all who are bowed down. Continue to bless and protect us from the snares of the Evil One. We make this supplication through Christ our Lord. Amen.”
Second Reading: Romans 8:9. 11-13.
Brothers and sisters: 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.
Comment
After treating the issue of freedom from sin, death and the Law, Paul now explains how hope, love and the Holy Spirit are found in God’s divine plan. In every man and woman, there is tension between the body and the spirit, love of life and fear of death. God’s friendship comes upon the man or woman of faith in whom dwells the Spirit of God. It is thus through God’s Spirit that we can ensure our baptismal union with Christ. It is the same Spirit that caused Christ’s resurrection in the first place. His life will conquer our death too. Saint Paul urges us to put an end to the misdeeds of the body and to stick to Jesus so as to be sharers of his resurrection and glory.
Since Christ is alive in the Christian, the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity, is also present in him. Where the Holy Spirit is absent from the life of a Christian, then death reigns supreme. With the Holy Spirit, one possesses Christ and vies for honour with the angels. As Saint John Chrysostom says, “With the Spirit, the flesh is crucified, one tastes the delight of immortal life, one has a pledge of future resurrection and advances rapidly on the path of virtue. This is what Paul calls putting the flesh to death.”
Let us pray to the Holy Spirit with the words the American bishop, Monsignor Michael Buckley, composed for the Church: “Holy Spirit, make our lives new by your divine power, that we may live by the light of the resurrection and work in a manner inspired by you. May Christ, our brother, be with us today and every day, now and for ever. Amen.”
Gospel acclamation: “Alleluia, alleluia. Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom to mere children. Alleluia.”
Gospel: Matthew 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.”
Comment
Today’s reading from Matthew’s Gospel comes after a discourse in which Jesus reproaches people who have witnessed his mighty deeds yet still lack belief. In this context, today’s Gospel explains the reason for this unbelief and reveals what is necessary for faith to grow. Today’s Gospel also continues to enhance our understanding of discipleship along the same lines as the Gospel message of last Sunday.
Jesus first prays in thanksgiving to God who has made himself known to Jesus’ disciples. “What you have hidden from the learned and the clever, you have revealed to the merest of children,” he says to his Father. As in other recent readings from Matthew’s Gospel, a contrast is made here between the unbelieving Pharisees, who are wise and learned, and the faithful disciples, tax collectors, and sinners with whom Jesus keeps company. In biblical language “learned and clever” means pride. Christ is certainly not praising ignorance. He is merely condemning pride, which is excessive love of oneself. There is the example of the Pharisee, who is so obsessed with his own self-righteousness that he condemns and dismisses the humble tax collector as unworthy of God’s mercy. But our Lord makes it clear that it is precisely the tax collector’s humble prayer that receives God’s reward (Lk 18: 9-14).
Our Lord calls for gentleness and humility. “Be gentle and humble of heart,” he urges us. A person who is gentle is kind, considerate of others, well-behaved, and tender-hearted. Such a person is neither violent nor severe. He or she is humble and modest and respects others. The question to ask as we listen to this gospel reading is: how have I lived these virtues in my Christian life?
Another virtue we can learn from this day’s gospel reading is friendship with Christ. He says: “Come to me all you who labour and I’ll give you rest. Take my yoke upon your shoulders.” Here Christ extends us an invitation to become his friends. “A faithful friend,” says Sirach, “is a sturdy heart. He who finds one finds a treasure.” (Sirach 6:14). A false friend, continues Sirach, is a friend when it suits him or her, he or she would not be with you in time of distress or when sorrow comes.
Christ is a true friend to us all. He is a friend who refuses to abandon us even when we have sinned and fallen short of his grace. He promises to be with us till the end of times. His friendship refuses the limits imposed by time. We should then ask ourselves how we have responded to Christ’s friendship. Have we taken the time to listen to his invitation to us? Are we just convenient friends of Christ, coming to him only when things are not going right for us but abandoning him once he resolves our difficulties?
Our Lord calls everyone to come to him. His attitude is one of invitation, knowledge and compassion. Indeed, it is one of offering, one of fulfilled promises, of friendship, and of goodness, and remedy of our ailments. He is our comforter, our nourishment, our daily bread that gives us energy and life.
As Saint Augustine says: “Any other burden oppresses and crushes you, but Christ actually takes the weight off you. Any other burden weighs you down, but Christ gives you wings. If you take a bird’s wings away, you might seem to be taking weight off it, but the more weight you take off, the more you tie it down to the earth. There it is on the ground, and you wanted to relieve it of a weight; give it back the weight of its wings and you will see how it flies.” Let us pray to God to help us to make Jesus our friend. He alone has the key to our burdens. Amen.
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