Ordinary 14

The Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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

“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.”

Who is Jesus speaking to? 

Who is labored and burdened? 

Whose yoke is too heavy? 

Who needs rest?

In light of the G20 Summit…

is Jesus speaking to world leaders burdened by their office? 

…yoked by political pressures at home and abroad? 

…bound by the need to be great, #1, to look powerful in the eyes of other leaders?

In light of the immigration issue in our country…

is Jesus speaking to Chaldean Catholics and Assyrian Orthodox Christians weighed down by fear because they will most probably be deported back to Iraq where they will assuredly face persecution and even death?

Is Jesus speaking to Mother Earth whose green forested lungs labour to breathe, whose blue river arteries are burdened by pollution, whose delicate ecosystems are yoked by blind economies?

Is Jesus speaking to the hungry of the world who bear the burden of violence and greed from Somalian pirates to Wall Street conglomerates?

Is Jesus speaking to the children of the world who bear the heavy yoke along with their mothers and other women for the world’s indifference? 

…indifference to providing clean water which would prevent most diseases, 

…to the worldwide indifference toward domestic violence against women,

…to the indifference of providing basic health care?

Is Jesus speaking to members of the LGBTQ community who labor under the weight of prejudice, round-ups, rapes and violence from Chechnya to the Pulse Night Club in Orlando, Florida?

Is Jesus speaking to his own people, the Jews, for whom the yoke of antisemitism is on the rise worldwide or the Muslim community burdened by ignorance, prejudice, judgement and violence?

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest…”

Who did you think Jesus was speaking to?