UNION WITH GOD

First Reading: Zec 9:9-10
            Second Reading: Rom 8:9, 11-13

Gospel: Mt 11:25-30

We are in the Fourteenth Sunday in ordinary time. The readings of today are about life in the spirit, rather living with God. In the Second reading, St. Pauls tells us that if we do not have the spirit of Christ then we do not belong to Him (Rom 8:9). In all his letters St. Paul affirms that the Spirit of Christ living in the person makes him/her a Christian – Christ living in him/her. We get our identity as disciples of Christ by possessing His Spirit which He breathed forth into the world from the Cross. In baptism we receive that Spirit. And so, St. Paul urges the romans then and today us to lead our life according to the Spirit that we possess. To live according to the flesh makes us animals. As rational beings and care takers of the earth we need to live according to Spirit of God. The creator knows how to care for His creature. Thus, to guard our lives and to care for the earth we need the assistance of God. If only we posses God in us we may lead whole creation including oneself to its proper end.

In the first part of the Gospel, Jesus praises God for the way He functions. In Is 55:8 we read that God’s thoughts and ways are not as humans. Yes, this is the reason that the leaders in the Judaism could not identify the Messiah. They had knowledge about Messiah, they did prepare to receive Him but when He came they could not recognize Him. On the Contrary, simple people who had less religious knowledge, have identified Messiah in Jesus. In Jewish setting, woman and Infants have no identity, they are like second class citizens. In the Gospel, Jesus says that the infants – the so called identity less people – have recognized the Messiah. The infants are His disciples who are poor in scripture and religious knowledge. In Jesus’ praise we notice that the disciples’ knowledge about Jesus as Son of the Eternal Father comes from divine revelation (Mt 11:25). We find the same thing when Jesus congratulates peter for recognizing Him as Messiah at Caesarea Philippi (Mt 16:16-17). Thus, we need to be receptive to the working of the divine spirit in us to understand the mysteries of God and our Christian faith.      

In the second part of the Gospel we have the very familiar and consoling words of Jesus; “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens” (Mt11:28) In saying ‘heavy burdens’ Jesus refers to many regulations laid down by the Jewish authorities which blocks ordinary people from reaching God. The priests and religious are supposed to facilitate the people to reach God. On the Contrary, they have loaded the people with multiple laws, empty rituals, heavy penances, and unnecessary sacrifices. The little ones could not fulfill the laws of the religion. Prophets call these little ones as Anawim, - the poor and those who are bowed down. They cry to God for redemption and upliftment. They (Anawim) have right to access God but they have been externally blocked from exercising that right. The cry of this poor people brought down God’s wrath in the Old Testament. In New Testament, God embraces these poor ones in Jesus. For He says, “I am gentle and humble in heart” (Mt 11:29). He promises rest for the souls. In this material world many philosophers and sages have sought and found happiness as the ultimate end of human life. There are differences of view with regard to what that happiness is. In Christianity that happiness is rest – resting in God. St. Augustine’s famous dictum: our hearts are restless until they rest in you, explicates the rest that Jesus is promising us in today’s gospel. In the world, people who promise to give us happiness do not reveal burdens that are attached with it. But Jesus authentically says that all who come to Him should take upon His yoke to find rest in Him. He is a loyal and transparent Master. Usually yoke is laid upon two animals so that they can plough are pull the cart properly. When Jesus invites us to take up the yoke, He means that there are two persons carrying that yoke: you and He. The yoke is burdens of this material world. The land that we plough together or the cart that we pull together is the effect of the life that is achieved with our union. Yes dear friends, we need union with God to lead this life. We need to possess the Spirit of God to carry heavy burdens of this life. When we carry alone we feel the burden unbearable and fail to reach the goal. If we take Jesus with us to carry, then we plough the land properly for the cultivation and pull the cart firmly to reach the desired destination. May the Spirit of God rest in us always.   


 

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