The Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time A
Reading I: Zechariah 9:9-10
Psalm: 145
Reading II:
Romans 8: 9, 11-13
Gospel: Matthew 11:25-30
The fact that Jesus chose to enter Jerusalem riding on an ass is symbolic, in His culture, that he comes as a man of peace. Those who are men of war would enter the city riding on a horse. Jesus chose to make a strong statement of His intentions when He arrives as a humble man on an ass.
Some of the most cherished words of Jesus from the Scriptures
are the following: “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.” How consoling these words promising peaceful rest!
Also, we are called to observe the Lord and learn from Him to be meek and humble ourselves. How peaceful our homes would be if we took the Lord’s words to heart. How peaceful our neighborhoods would be with less gang warfare! How peaceful our world would be if we negotiated instead for fighting with one another!
Dr. Marshal Rosenberg, a Jewish man who experienced much
prejudice as a young person, created a simple process to bring about non-violent communication. He taught people how to communicate in a way which enables each person to get his/her needs met without resorting to violence in word or deed. While he is retired now, his books and DVD’s are still available and his followers give workshops all over the world. For further information go to www.cnvc.com.
On July 14, we celebrate a Native American Saint called St. Kateri Tekakwitha who is the embodiment of a peaceful person. In spite of the abuse she experienced growing up as an orphan raised by an aunt and uncle, she spent her life following the example of Jesus. Suffering not only from poor health and very poor eyesight as a result of a bout with small pox, she also endured much suffering from jealousy. Nevertheless, she spent her days in prayer, caring for the sick and elderly in their homes, and instructing children in the Faith. She also like Jesus forgave those who had caused her so much pain.
Let us ask the Lord to help us to follow His example and that of St. Kateri as we go through our own sufferings and strive to reach out to others in need. Let us be people of peace in our day when there is such a great need for peace!
Spanish Translation of Reflection Above...
Un hombre de paz
El hecho de que Jesús escogiera entrar en Jerusalén montado sobre un asno es simbólico, en Su cultura, que él viene como un hombre de paz. Aquellos que son hombres de guerra entrarían a la ciudad a caballo. Jesús escogió hacer una declaración fuerte de Sus intenciones cuando Él llega como un hombre humilde sobre un asno.
Algunas de las palabras más queridas de Jesús de las Escrituras
Son los siguientes: “Venid a mí todos los que trabajáis y sois sobrecargados, y yo os haré descansar. Llevad mi yugo sobre vosotros y aprended de mí, porque soy manso y humilde de corazón.” ¡Cuán consoladoras estas palabras prometiendo descanso tranquilo!
También, estamos llamados a observar al Señor y aprender de Él a ser mansos y humildes a nosotros mismos. Cuán pacíficas serían nuestras casas si tomáramos las palabras del Señor con corazón. ¡Qué tranquilos estarían nuestros barrios con menos guerra de pandillas! ¡Qué pacífico sería nuestro mundo si negociáramos en vez de pelearnos unos con otros!
El Dr. Marshal Rosenberg, un hombre judío que experimentó
Prejuicio como un joven, creó un proceso simple para llevar a cabo la comunicación no violenta. Él enseñó a la gente cómo comunicarse de una manera que permite a cada persona para satisfacer sus necesidades sin recurrir a la violencia en palabra o hecho. Mientras está jubilado ahora, sus libros y DVD están todavía disponibles y sus seguidores dan talleres en todo el mundo. Para obtener más información, visite www.cnvc.com.
El 14 de julio, celebramos a un Santo Nativo Americano llamado San Kateri Tekakwitha que es la encarnación de una persona pacífica. A pesar del abuso que experimentó creciendo como un huérfano criado por una tía y un tío, pasó su vida siguiendo el ejemplo de Jesús. Sufriendo no sólo de la mala salud y la visión muy pobre como resultado de un combate con la viruela, también sufrió mucho sufrimiento de los celos. Sin embargo, ella pasaba sus días en oración, cuidando a los enfermos y ancianos en sus hogares, e instruyendo a los niños en la Fe. También le gustaba que Jesús perdonara a aquellos que le habían causado tanto dolor.
Pidamos al Señor que nos ayude a seguir Su ejemplo y el de San Kateri mientras atravesamos nuestros propios sufrimientos y nos esforzamos por alcanzar a otros necesitados. ¡Seamos gente de paz en nuestros días cuando hay una gran necesidad de paz!
When my sons were young I loved baking sweet treats for them and their friends. They enjoyed eating them as much as I delighted in making them. Baking became my hobby and my passion was collecting recipes so I could create the goodies for my family. The key to having the finished product turn out well was following the recipe. When I tried substituting ingredients to do my own thing, the result was usually poor – the cake was under baked or the cookies could be mistaken for hockey pucks – certainly not something I wanted to serve. I learned to respect the science behind the baking. There are chemical forces at work that just can’t be tampered with to achieve a consistently satisfactory outcome.
ReplyDeleteWhen Jesus talks about his yoke being easy and his burden being light I think about the times in which He lived. The Pharisees burdened the people of the region with such a heavy system of laws that the people felt weighed down. Jesus invited those who were weary and burdened to come to Him for rest. In contrast to what the Pharisees professed, God’s laws for living were not complicated nor were they designed to inflict hardship on the people. In the course of His ministry, Jesus gave His followers His recipes for a sweeter life – follow the commandments and put the Beatitudes into play in your life. The commandments are not meant to stifle one’s lifestyle; rather, they offer instructions for living a life of freedom. When I live within the guidelines of the commandments I am free from the guilt and shame which result from living out of alignment with God’s laws of love and respect for one another. The Beatitudes are the spiritual bonds that transform us into true Christians. Jesus did not promise that in this life we would get to have our cake and eat it too, but by incorporating the key elements of humility and charity, and mixing them with a splash of brotherly love we will enjoy the sweet treat of eternal salvation.
How fitting it is that you mention Marshall Rosenberg in your post. I believe that the practice of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) is exactly what Jesus would prescribe for healing our modern day brokenness. Rosenberg considered NVC a spiritual practice which he made his way of life. He referred to God as “Beloved Divine Energy,” which he considered to be “Life/ connection to life.” He writes, “I know Beloved Divine Energy by connecting with human beings in a certain way. I not only see Divine Energy, I taste Divine Energy, I feel Divine Energy, and I am Divine Energy. I’m connected with Beloved Divine Energy when I connect with human beings in this way. Then God is very alive for me.”
As a student of NVC, when I am present to the practice, I seek to find out what is alive in someone. It is only when we know what is going on inside another that we can contribute to their well-being from a place of compassion. It is such a beautiful recipe for manifesting God’s love and joining Jesus in being meek and humble of heart. I encourage readers to visit the website that Sr. Annette provided.
In conclusion, in order to savor the sweet deliciousness of life, we need to follow certain guidelines because there is a behind-the-scenes mystical energy in play that we need to plug into to experience the harmony and peace that Jesus offers (even in the midst of trials and tribulations). The instructions are easy – be “other” focused from a place of Christ-centeredness within. Life can be simple and satisfying and our burdens made light when we stick to the (Jesus) recipe!
Pat C., ASBS
Yes, there certainly is an extremely urgent need for peace in these troubled times. We really should strive to always be "people of peace."
ReplyDeleteThe following explanation is from the Catholic Catechism:
"Earthly peace is the image and fruit of the peace of Christ,
the messianic 'Prince of Peace' (Isa 9:5). By the blood of his Cross, 'in his own person he killed the hostility (Eph 2:16)';
he reconciled men with God and made his Church the sacrament of the unity of the human race and of its union with God. 'He is our peace (Eph 2:14).' He has declared: 'Blessed are the peacemakers (Mt 5:9}.' "
Catechism of the Catholic Church
2305
The following excerpt is from an audience by Pope Francis:
"Peace itself is a gift of God, a gift to ask for trustfully in prayer. Therefore, it is important not only to be witnesses of peace and love, but also witnesses of prayer. Prayer is speaking to God our Father in heaven, to entrust to Him our wishes, our joys, our sorrows. Prayer is asking him for forgiveness every time we err and commit a sin, in the certainty that he always forgives. His goodness toward us drives us, too, to be merciful toward our brothers, forgiving them from our heart when they offend us or harm us. And, finally, peace has a face and a heart. It is the face and the heart of Jesus, the Son of God, Who died on the cross and rose again to bring peace to every man and to all humanity. Jesus is our peace. He tore down the wall of hate that separated men from each other."
Pope Francis
Audience
May 10, 2015