THE WORD
Is 26,7-9.12.16-19 / Mt 11,28-30
Jesus off ers an invitation: “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 nd rest for your selves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”
IN OTHER WORDS
“You are cordially invited!” We usually see this in invitation cards. The celebrant is gladly honored to invite the guests to his/her special occasion. Similarly, our Lord Jesus, in our Gospel, invites us to be with Him: “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Mt. 28:20b).
Jesus has two invitations for us today:
- “Come to me.” M. Scott Peck conveys to the world that life is difficult. Harold Kushner wrote a book, When Bad Things Happen to Good People. Our pains, sorrows, sufferings, frustrations and failures are just part of our experiences in our pilgrimage on earth. Jesus is inviting us: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” In ‘Footprints in the Sand’ is the famous conversation between God and man:”My son, my precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.”
- “Learn from me.” Life is a constant learning process where Jesus is our model of the greatest teacher. He talked about life but also walked His talk:“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (Jn 15: 13). He practiced what He preached by offering His life on the cross for us. In his book, Man’s Search for Meaning, Dr. Victor Frankl shared his ordeal in theconcentration camp and how he overcame his sufferings. If we see the meaning of our life, wecan overcome all difficulties in it. Knowing the meaning of our life, Jesus, the greatest teacher, is inviting us: “Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.”
May we heed His invitation. “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart” (Heb. 3: 15).
- Fr. Ferdinand Alfante, SVD | CT, Manila
The Word in other words 2016
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
