December 11, 2019
Wednesday, 2nd Week of Advent
1st Reading: Is 40:25–31
Gospel: Mt. 11:28-30
Jesus said to the crowds: “Come to me, all you who work hard and who carry heavy burdens and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble of heart; and you will find rest. For my yoke is good and my burden is light.”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
Jesus’ invitation to heavily laden people to come to him cut deep in the hearts of listeners burdened by the onerous laws of their religion collectively embodied in the “Torah”. Yahweh dictated only Ten Commandments to Moses. However, their understanding was that all the teachings embodied in the Torah were dictated by God to Moses, some at Sinai, others at the Tabernacle. The interpretations and amplifications of the dictates of Yahweh also became laws embodied in the Torah. Rabbinic tradition says there are 613 commands in the Torah that every Jew had to observe. In lieu of the yoke of Torah, Jesus offered the law of love. Being an alternative this was presumably lighter. But it turned out to be just as burdensome because it buried most followers deep into the practice of faith. It enjoined followers to go deeper than avoiding murder by not getting angry at anyone; deeper than avoiding adultery by not looking lustfully at a woman (Matt. 5:21). It even required followers to love their enemies! The objective was to surpass the spirituality of the Pharisees (Matt. 5:20).
In what sense was Jesus’ commandment of love lighter? “Learn from me”, Jesus said, “for I am gentle and humble of heart”. Humility makes the difference. Proud people have many wounds to protect, many scars to hide and many vulnerabilities to defend. They are very sensitive. That is why they have many unnecessary sufferings. Any slight inconvenience can be too heavy for the proud. On the other hand humble people fear no fall because they are already on the ground; they fear no humiliation because they are already “reduced to lowest terms”. The concerns of humble people are reduced to the essentials and they have no time to sulk over trivial matters. Moreover, they have God’s grace to rely on, having no personal strength to boast about.
We too are laboring under heavy yokes. Let us learn humility from Jesus. The following alphabet is an appropriate statement on the matter: “Arrogant believers callously denounce every failure. Go humble instead. Jesus knows. Life’s misfortunes never outdo Providence. Quit renouncing spirituality. Take up very willingly Xst’s yoke…” You can supply the missing letter z with your zeal in responding to Christ’s call to take up his yoke of love. – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., J.D., D.M.
Wednesday, 2nd Week of Advent
1st Reading: Is 40:25–31
Gospel: Mt. 11:28-30
Jesus said to the crowds: “Come to me, all you who work hard and who carry heavy burdens and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble of heart; and you will find rest. For my yoke is good and my burden is light.”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
Jesus’ invitation to heavily laden people to come to him cut deep in the hearts of listeners burdened by the onerous laws of their religion collectively embodied in the “Torah”. Yahweh dictated only Ten Commandments to Moses. However, their understanding was that all the teachings embodied in the Torah were dictated by God to Moses, some at Sinai, others at the Tabernacle. The interpretations and amplifications of the dictates of Yahweh also became laws embodied in the Torah. Rabbinic tradition says there are 613 commands in the Torah that every Jew had to observe. In lieu of the yoke of Torah, Jesus offered the law of love. Being an alternative this was presumably lighter. But it turned out to be just as burdensome because it buried most followers deep into the practice of faith. It enjoined followers to go deeper than avoiding murder by not getting angry at anyone; deeper than avoiding adultery by not looking lustfully at a woman (Matt. 5:21). It even required followers to love their enemies! The objective was to surpass the spirituality of the Pharisees (Matt. 5:20).
In what sense was Jesus’ commandment of love lighter? “Learn from me”, Jesus said, “for I am gentle and humble of heart”. Humility makes the difference. Proud people have many wounds to protect, many scars to hide and many vulnerabilities to defend. They are very sensitive. That is why they have many unnecessary sufferings. Any slight inconvenience can be too heavy for the proud. On the other hand humble people fear no fall because they are already on the ground; they fear no humiliation because they are already “reduced to lowest terms”. The concerns of humble people are reduced to the essentials and they have no time to sulk over trivial matters. Moreover, they have God’s grace to rely on, having no personal strength to boast about.
We too are laboring under heavy yokes. Let us learn humility from Jesus. The following alphabet is an appropriate statement on the matter: “Arrogant believers callously denounce every failure. Go humble instead. Jesus knows. Life’s misfortunes never outdo Providence. Quit renouncing spirituality. Take up very willingly Xst’s yoke…” You can supply the missing letter z with your zeal in responding to Christ’s call to take up his yoke of love. – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., J.D., D.M.
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