July 5, 2020: Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Lectionary: 100)
Reading 1 ZEC 9:9-10
Thus says the LORD:
Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion,
shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king shall come to you;
a just savior is he,
meek, and riding on an ass,
on a colt, the foal of an ass.
He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim,
and the horse from Jerusalem;
the warrior’s bow shall be banished,
and he shall proclaim peace to the nations.
His dominion shall be from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
Responsorial Psalm. PS 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13-14
R. (cf. 1) I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Reading 2. ROM 8:9, 11-13
Brothers and sisters:
You are not in the flesh;
on the contrary, you are in the spirit,
if only the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,
the one who raised Christ from the dead
will give life to your mortal bodies also,
through his Spirit that dwells in you.
Consequently, brothers and sisters,
we are not debtors to the flesh,
to live according to the flesh.
For if you live according to the flesh, you will die,
but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body,
you will live.
Alleluia. CF. MT 11:25
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel. MT 11:25-30
At that time Jesus exclaimed:
“I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to little ones.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows the Son except the Father,
and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”
“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.”
Growing up, I was always up for the challenge of taking on different interests, tasks, and life experiences and trying my best to learn from them.
I started to value knowledge and wisdom because others admired that quality in me and I carried these values into my adulthood. Family members, friends, acquaintances, and strangers I briefly met were quick to point out the hard work and success I experienced– whether it was in my academic studies in a doctoral degree program, in athletic endeavors, and in personal relationships. There was a level of stardom and awestruck notions that I could feel was being placed on me for the things I have been working for in life.
I could feel it pulling at me.
My accomplishments were shining through to people more than the me behind them.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus exclaims, “…you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned (and) you have revealed them to the childlike…” This verse immediately gutted me. Had I been striving so hard in life to be "learned and wise” and forgotten to be “childlike.”
I had accumulated so much wisdom and knowledge that I became distracted. At the end of the day, I found myself with many accomplishments, but quality relationships were hard to come by.
In focusing on the intellectual accomplishments, I had lost the side of myself that allowed me to just be as a child of God.
But how do I become childlike?
My answer came in the next section of the Gospel when Jesus calls my labored and burdened self to Him, promising rest.
God promises me rest. Rest from my hard work and constants striving, rest from my seriousness, and rest from my worry.
It’s not until I come and rest in Him that I learn to be childlike.
No matter how strong the pull of admiration is--I am called and belong to Him.
In Him there is less attention and caring about being ‘wise’ and ‘learned’ and more attention about being ‘meek,’ ‘humble’ and finally finding rest.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andrea Munoz is finishing up her Doctor of Psychology degree, soon to be a clinical psychologist. She views each person as a whole being - recognizing mind, body, and soul in healing. A Southern California native, currently transplanted in Arizona, she loves fencing and the outdoors. To recharge she spends time with her husband and dog. Daily coffee, reminders of balancing grit and grace, and mindful moments of breathing is a staple for her.
2 comments
Muchas gracias. ?Como puedo iniciar sesion?
It’s encouraging to hear that the struggle for contentment is alive within your soul.
Thanks be to God for his mercy and grace upon your life.