Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Intro: Today we hear and join in Jesus' great prayer of thanksgiving to the Father, revealed to us through the gift of the Spirit.
Readings: Zechariah foresees the peace which the humility and power of the Messiah will bring.
Paul reminds the Romans that the gift of the Holy Spirit is the means by which they become Christlike.
Zechariah 9:9-10;
Romans 8:9,11-13;
Matthew 11: 25.30;
The scribes, the Pharisees, those who were regarded as experts in interpreting the word of God in the Scriptures often criticised Jesus and His followers for openly flouting the Law - He healed on the Sabbath, He refused to check His disciples when they did what was considered work on the Sabbath day. He was well aware that there were many people who regarded the some 613 commandments of the Law an insufferable burden too heavy to bear. As a result of which, they were treated as religious outcasts because they were unable to bear the full yoke imposed by the lawyers.
Jesus was well aware that there were whole groups of people who were dismissed as sinners simply because they followed what were regarded as dishonourable callings, and led lifestyles which didn't permit them to observe the small print of the Law - shepherds, donkey drivers, pedlars tax collectors; all were deprived of their civil rights, forbidden to act as witnesses in court, and refused entry to the synagogue - the very bottom of the social heap, the so-called dregs of polite society.
But Jesus had a word for all those who were bowed down by this over-interpretation of the Law - "Come to Me all you who are overburdened and I will give you rest. Shoulder My yoke and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden light."
He has no intention of doing away with the Law; He simply refused to support the lawyers who spent their time manufacturing new burdens for broken people. In the early days of the Church, a similar problem arose: did new converts to the Christian faith have to obey the full Law of Moses?
Peter admits that his own people were unable bear the yoke of the Law, and reminded his followers that they should never demand of others what they had been unable to keep themselves - "Remember that we are saved by in the same way as they are - through the grace of the Lord Jesus." Now there is a new law, which is found in the person of Jesus Himself.
He never said, "Come to the Law and you will find rest for your souls." Instead, He simply said, "Come to Me … learn from Me ... and you will find rest." Instead, He makes Himself the centre of His own teaching. And that is just what we do in our Eucharist today!
Intercessions
With trust in the presence of God's Holy Spirit both in the world and in our own lives, we turn to the Lord in prayer:-
1. For the holy Father and his fellow bishops. Strengthen in their work of witnessing to the teaching of Christ our Lord - Lord, hear us.
2. For governments. May they become aware of the vast numbers of people for whom survival itself is a struggle, and become more generous in their aid programmes - Lord, hear us.
3. For those who feel alone or unloved. Heal them with Your comforting Presence, and help them achieve a new sense of their own self worth - Lord, hear us.
4. For ourselves and our parish. Free us from the things which hurt us and prevent us from sharing fully in the joy which You always want us to have - Lord, hear us.
5. May Mark Campbell, Kathleen Reilly and Tony Morgan who have died recently now come to the eternal rest promised through their baptism, together with those who died about this time in past
years: Eddie McBride, Bert Young Eileen & Jim Gilbride - Lord, hear us.
God, our loving Father, hear the prayers which You have inspired us to make, and grant what we ask through Christ our Lord.