Daily Readings Reflection for 7/16/09

Reflection on the Daily Readings for 7/16/09 by Fr. Bertrand Buby, SM

Scripture: Thurs. of 15th week. Exodus 3:11-20. Psalm
105:1.5.8-9.24-25.26-27. Matthew 11:28-30. Lectionary # 392:

What a consoling invitation Jesus gives us today. It easily becomes our
prayer upon listening to it or reading it. Since it is such a short
passage, we may wish to dwell on it for some moments of meditation and
reflection. "Come to me, all you who are weary and find life burdensome,
and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon your shoulders and learn from me,
for I am gentle and humble of heart. Your souls will find rest, for my yoke
is easy and my burden light." We immediately sense the empathy and
tenderness of the Lord. His heart is full of loving-kindness and
compassion.

Our devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus should reflect this text for it
leads us to understand the humanness of Jesus and his concern for each one
of us. We do find rest when we allow Jesus to take control over our minds
and hearts, and souls. These loving words of his mirror what he had
learned from his own Scriptures in the book of Deuteronomy: "Hear, O
Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord alone.You shall love the Lord your
God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your
might." (Deuteronomy 6:4-5). Jesus could give us the above message for he
lived out this beautiful expression of faith and love in God his Father. We
join ourselves to him and his sacred heart through our trust in Him and his
love. Doing this we join Him in the greatest of the commandments. We need
to recall this whenever we set priorities even in our everyday life.

The Psalmist realized this in giving us the response for today and
yesterday, "The Lord remembers his covenant forerver. The Lord is kind and
merciful." (Psalm 105:8; Psalm 103:8). Amen.