Gospel – Matthew 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.”
Reflection on Sunday Gospel
Let us remember we are in the holy presence of God…
Even in this season of summer, Lasallian educators continue to work, whether preparing for the new school year, running summer programs for students, or continuing to care for clients at our youth and family service ministries. Our work, our burdens if you will, never truly dissipate, and the long haul can seem daunting. Jesus asks us to take on his yoke and learn from him. A yoke is a harness or collar, and traditionally was made of wood to tie two animals together and attached to the plow or cart that they would pull. As rough as that may sound, a carefully crafted yoke is shaped to be as comfortable as possible. In Jesus’ infinite love he asks us to take his yoke, his teachings, his example, so that our burdens may be lightened by knowing our toils procure his glory, and are not without their reward. As educators in this mission, our Lasallian yoke reminds us that we are not alone in the care of those He has entrusted to us. Thousands of Lasallian educators in 80 countries makes the burden far lighter.
For all of us still working the fields, bringing students a little closer to God, make sure you “find rest for yourselves” this summer. Don’t keep your hands of the till for too long, though, because as a united Lasallian family, the yoke is easy, and the burden is light.
St. John Baptist de La Salle … Pray for Us!
Live Jesus in our Hearts … Forever!
anonymous