Reading 1
Ex 3:13-20
Moses, hearing the voice of the LORD from the burning bush, said to him,
“When I go to the children of Israel and say to them,
‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’
if they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what am I to tell them?”
God replied, “I am who am.”
Then he added, “This is what you shall tell the children of Israel:
I AM sent me to you.”
God spoke further to Moses, “Thus shall you say to the children of Israel:
The LORD, the God of your fathers,
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob,
has sent me to you.
“This is my name forever;
this my title for all generations.
“Go and assemble the elders of Israel, and tell them:
The LORD, the God of your fathers,
the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
has appeared to me and said:
I am concerned about you
and about the way you are being treated in Egypt;
so I have decided to lead you up out of the misery of Egypt
into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites,
Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites,
a land flowing with milk and honey.
“Thus they will heed your message.
Then you and the elders of Israel
shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him:
“The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent us word.
Permit us, then, to go a three-days’ journey in the desert,
that we may offer sacrifice to the LORD, our God.
“Yet I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go
unless he is forced.
I will stretch out my hand, therefore,
and smite Egypt by doing all kinds of wondrous deeds there.
After that he will send you away.”
105:1 and 5, 8-9, 24-25, 26-27
Responsorial PsalmR. (8a)
The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name;
make known among the nations his deeds.
Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought,
his portents, and the judgments he has uttered.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He remembers forever his covenant
which he made binding for a thousand generationsB
Which he entered into with Abraham
and by his oath to Isaac.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He greatly increased his people
and made them stronger than their foes,
Whose hearts he changed, so that they hated his people,
and dealt deceitfully with his servants.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He sent Moses his servant;
Aaron, whom he had chosen.
They wrought his signs among them,
and wonders in the land of Ham.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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.” (Matthew 11:28)
Come to me. Yes, you. You are exactly who I mean. Your sin isn’t an obstacle, for all have sinned, but all are justified by my sacrifice on the cross. If you feel far away, come. If you have given in to temptation, harbored bitterness, or lashed out in anger, come. If you have felt the sting of despair or feel cloaked in guilt or shame, come. Even if you don’t believe that I want to give you a taste of my mercy and love, come. Come and see how much I can do in your heart.
Come, you who labor and are burdened. I will give you rest: rest from the weight of responsibility, the load of sorrow, the burden of fear that you are carrying. I will give you rest from the uncertainty, doubt, and insecurity that slow your steps. I will give you rest from the constant activity, the exhausting demands of work and home, of caring for elderly parents or young children. I will give you rest from the faithful service that you give to me every day. Come and rest with me, and I will restore your energy.
Take my yoke upon you. Come, bind yourself to me in love. I promise it will be a joy, not a burden. Let me show you my love today. Let me surprise you with the weightlessness of it. Love, streaming from my Father’s heart, overflowing from the two of us, and pouring into your heart through my Holy Spirit. I have fashioned my yoke to fit you exactly. I have created you to wear it and learn under it in ways that are unique to you. I will not force it on you. Choose it, and let it bring you relief.
Come, my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. What makes it so easy? It’s my love and my life. You can carry it with you everywhere you go today, and it will give you strength and energy. I know what else you are carrying in your hands and in your heart. But come to me and let me show you how to carry it all. Don’t let anything hold you back. Come and embrace my meekness and humility. I promise that you will find rest for yourself!
“Here I am, Lord. I am yours.”
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