Reading 1
Is 26:7-9, 12, 16-19
The way of the just is smooth;
the path of the just you make level.
Yes, for your way and your judgments, O LORD,
we look to you;
Your name and your title
are the desire of our souls.
My soul yearns for you in the night,
yes, my spirit within me keeps vigil for you;
When your judgment dawns upon the earth,
the world's inhabitants learn justice.
O LORD, you mete out peace to us,
for it is you who have accomplished all we have done.
O LORD, oppressed by your punishment,
we cried out in anguish under your chastising.
As a woman about to give birth
writhes and cries out in her pains,
so were we in your presence, O LORD.
We conceived and writhed in pain,
giving birth to wind;
Salvation we have not achieved for the earth,
the inhabitants of the world cannot bring it forth.
But your dead shall live, their corpses shall rise;
awake and sing, you who lie in the dust.
For your dew is a dew of light,
and the land of shades gives birth.
Gospel
Mt 11:28-30
Jesus said:
"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."
Meditation: Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened.” (Matthew 11:28)
One of the characters in the film The Mission is a Spanish slave-trader, Mendoza, who lives in South America. Mendoza is known as a hard man with a fiery temper, and in one fit of rage, he ends up killing his own brother. Overcome with grief, he confesses his sin to a Jesuit missionary priest and then performs a penance of his own choosing: He will follow the missionaries through the jungle, dragging a heavy net filled with his armor. Mendoza eventually collapses, and one of the priests cuts his bundle loose. But Mendoza reties it and trudges on. Finally, an Indian spots him. Instead of killing him, however, he cuts the man’s bundle again and throws it over a cliff. Freed of his burden, Mendoza is also freed from guilt.
In a similar way, Jesus wants to free us from our burdens. When he says, “I will give you rest”(Matthew 11:28), he’s not telling us to abandon our responsibilities or ignore God’s commandments. He just wants to rid us of the oppressive weight of guilt and self-condemnation that we can place on our shoulders. He wants us to get rid of the idea that we can atone for our own sins, that heroic acts of penance and self-punishment can convince God to forgive us.
Never forget that Jesus has done all the heavy lifting! He has already atoned for all of your sins—past, present, and future. And because of his cross, he has set you free from all condemnation. Your efforts, well-intentioned though they may be, can never accomplish what Jesus did for you on the cross. As Isaiah wrote, “Salvation we have not achieved for the earth, the inhabitants of the world cannot bring it forth” (Isaiah 26:18).
So rejoice in your salvation! Take Jesus’ words to heart and come to him so that you can find rest and refreshment. Get rid of the yoke of your sins and take up his “yoke” of trust and surrender. God never intended for you to be trapped in guilt or anxiety. He wants to shower you with his freedom, his love, and his joy!
“All praise and glory to you, Lord Jesus! You are my Redeemer and my Friend. I happily place my sins and failings in your hands for you to deal with. Come, Holy Spirit, and let me know your freedom and joy!”
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