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                                                       Observations 

               (These reflections on Sunday readings are offered by Deacon Jon Fadely)

                           For the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

Zechariah 9:9-11; Psalm 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13-14; Romans 8:9, 11-13; Matthew 11:25-30

In the Gospel for this 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time Jesus invites us to come and learn from Him, and to take His yoke on our shoulders. In doing so, we will find rest for our souls, for His yoke is easy and His burden is light. The key to human rest is humility and meekness. Jesus lived this way, fully human, yet fully divine, filled with the Spirit of the Living God Who is the Lord and Giver of Life.

Humility disposes us to receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit, to allow Him to rest in us, as a gentle dove might rest on our shoulder, once we can quiet down, inside. Meekness, also known as gentleness, allows us to maintain that inner peace, to continually hear, even to feel, the gentle prompting of the Spirit, Who leads and guides us to all Truth. This is the fullness of Jesus Himself, Who declares to His disciples, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.”

Our king comes to us humbly, as the kings of Israel of old rode on a colt, as our King will do when He enters the City of Peace, Jerusalem, to complete the work for which His Father sent Him into the world, to win for us the salvation from sin and death which we had lost. Jesus shows us the Way to the Father, He teaches us the Truth of His Kingdom, and He restores us to Life everlasting. We will praise your name forever, our King and our God!

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En el Evangelio del XIV Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario, Jesús nos invita a venir a Él, a aprender de Él y a cargar con su yugo. Al hacerlo, encontraremos descanso para nuestras almas, pues su yugo es suave y su carga ligera. La clave del descanso humano reside en la humildad y la mansedumbre. Jesús vivió de esta manera: plenamente humano y, a la vez, plenamente divino, lleno del Espíritu del Dios vivo, que es el Señor y Dador de vida.

La humildad nos dispone a recibir la plenitud del Espíritu Santo y a permitirle reposar en nosotros —como una paloma mansa se posaría sobre nuestro hombro si supiéramos guardar el silencio necesario al interior. La mansedumbre nos permite mantener esa paz interior para escuchar continuamente, e incluso sentir, la suave moción del Espíritu, que nos conduce y guía hacia la Verdad plena. Esta es la plenitud de Jesús mismo, quien declara a sus discípulos: «Yo soy el Camino, la Verdad y la Vida».

Nuestro Rey viene a nosotros con humildad, tal como lo hacían los antiguos reyes de Israel montados en unos burritos, y tal como lo hará nuestro Rey al entrar en la Ciudad de la Paz —Jerusalén— para consumar la obra por la que el Padre lo envió al mundo: ganarnos la salvación frente al pecado y la muerte que habíamos perdido. Jesús nos muestra el Camino hacia el Padre, nos enseña la Verdad de su Reino y nos devuelve a la Vida eterna. ¡Dios y rey nuestro, nos te alabaremos, bendeciremos tu nombre siempre y para siempre!