Ordinary 14

The Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Zechariah 9:9-10; Psalm 145; Roman 8:9, 11-13; Matthew 11:25-30

Come to me…It is a dad reaching out toward his toddler-daughter. She has just let go of the coffee table taking wobbly steps as she learns to maneuver around with her legs. Will she fall? Will dad catch her?

Come to me…It is a firefighter calling out from the hook and ladder to a person in the third floor window of a burning building. The person does not think they can bridge the gap between them to safety. As they reach out toward each other, the distance seems far, time is short and fear is strong.

Come to me…It is a parent standing in the county jail waiting room as their daughter is brought in. Arrested she is now being released into their custody. “Dad, what will mom say?”

Come to me…Estranged friends encounter each other. It is an awkward moment. Knots in the gut. No one knows what to say to each other. Yet they both want to be there.

Come to me…It is Jesus calling to Peter – who foolishly thinks he can walk on water.

Come to me…the invitation of a friend, a spouse, a parent, of Jesus can only be proffered. Despite an extended arm and open palm, a gentle, forgiving look in the face and eyes; the response must be freely given. Any forced response enslaves the other. The use of guilt turns a response into a lie. It will falter.

How often is the invitation, if not rejected out rightly, is simply easier not to respond to at all? A non – response? Many reasons keep us from each other and Jesus. We each place obstacles in the paths of our relationships.

Fear and its sister, lack of trust. Fear of what the might be said. Fear of what will be expected of us. Fear of not wanting to face the truth. Lack of hope for a relationship what seems beyond repair. The realization that there never was a relationship of any depth. Time and distance take their tolls on all relationships, even the one with Jesus.

Relationship is a risky business. We are not always willing to take the risk. The risk to be open and honest. The risk to be hurt. The risk of being left behind. The heartache to have let someone walk away while still caring for them.

Relationship is a risky business. Like the toddler, will we falter? Will someone catch us? Like the person in the burning building, is fear able to be overcome and the distance bridged? Like the daughter, how will people respond? Like the estranged friends, what words will be spoken to pierce the silence?

Jesus – and the people who deeply care for us take the risk. It all begins with the offer of an invitation, Come to me…

When a penitent in confession tells the priest they have been away from the Church for many years, a good confessor will ask, what brought you here today? In other words, what prompted you to respond to the invitation?

Come to me all you who labour and are burdened…

What is it we are looking for in our relationships; in our relationship with Jesus?