Intimacy might be the key idea in the Gospel for this 14th week of ordinary time. In our Gospel for today, Jesus is speaking to those who have come to believe in him. He speaks to them from out of his own relationship with his “Father.” He uses the word “Father” five times in the first paragraph of this Gospel — and according to Scripture scholars, he would have used the Arabic word “abba,” the intimate form of Father, like our word “daddy.” The scriptural point: Jesus is the beloved of his Father, and his disciples are in turn his own beloved followers. Jesus thanks his Father that his disciples have “got it,” got what he, Jesus, has been telling them, while other “wise and learned” listeners have not understood. They rejected what he was saying; it did not fit with what their Hebrew teachers and scholars said, so many of those who heard Jesus then walked away. That said, Jesus in this Gospel seemed to understand that being his disciple will be a daunting task. So he gives his disciples and us a spiritual hug with his words: Come to me all you who labor and are burdened — for that’s exactly what disciples do, labor and carry burdens — and I will give you rest … you will find rest for yourselves, for my yoke is easy and my burden light. But a yoke is a strange image to use for comfort. We surely don’t want to be oxen, dragging a heavy load! But consider: Any commitment, whether discipleship, marriage, parenthood, can seem like a burdensome obligation at times. What makes it easy is love. Jesus’ love for his Father helped him face the cross. Love is the beginning of any commitment, and it will carry us through the tough times. At the end of your day, picture Jesus and you sharing a glass of wine and reviewing the day. Let the love Jesus has for you lift any of your discipleship burdens from your shoulders!
— Blog entry by Sister Mary Garascia
The post July 5, 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, A hug: a Sunday Scriptures blog first appeared on Sisters of the Precious Blood.