Deacon Tom Anthony

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 100

Reading 1 Zec 9:9-10

Thus says the LORD:
Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion,
shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king shall come to you;
a just savior is he,
meek, and riding on an ass,
on a colt, the foal of an ass.
He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim,
and the horse from Jerusalem;
the warrior’s bow shall be banished,
and he shall proclaim peace to the nations.
His dominion shall be from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13-14

R. (cf. 1) I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R.  Alleluia.
The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading 2 Rom 8:9, 11-13

Brothers and sisters:
You are not in the flesh;
on the contrary, you are in the spirit,
if only the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,
the one who raised Christ from the dead
will give life to your mortal bodies also,
through his Spirit that dwells in you.
Consequently, brothers and sisters,
we are not debtors to the flesh,
to live according to the flesh.
For if you live according to the flesh, you will die,
but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body,
you will live.

Alleluia Cf. Mt 11:25

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mt 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.”

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS

As Christians we must remember that we are Children of the Spirit and not of the flesh. The Holy Spirit dwells within us and has the capability of bringing us closer to God in a beautiful, loving relationship. Yes, we are made of bone and flesh but we do not have to be ruled by it. We have been given a choice and have been shown a better way through the revelation of Jesus Christ. Created by God, the Holy Spirit, the Love of God, has been resting within us, waiting to be fueled by our thought and actions. Recognition of its presence is the first step to revelation and a new life within the Holy Trinity. It is an open invitation that we have to accept. We are presented with a choice: Do we claim our birthright as Children of God or do we continue to ignore Him who formed us and gave us life?

Our daily lives are filled with stress and anxiety. Most of this is created by our own actions and decisions. We set material goals for ourselves then spend large amounts of time and energy trying to pursue things that, in the end, really don’t matter that much. Yes, they might bring us a level of happiness in the short term but will no doubt leave us empty and wanting more. This is what happens when we pursue desires of the flesh. We partake in earthly desires that have an expiration date. We pursue that which will soon pass away. What we think we have gained is actually lost as soon as we grab a hold of it. Embracing that which is material in nature leaves us with a hunger that is never satisfied. This hunger always threatens to consume us and eventually destroy us.

Focusing on our spirituality positions us to receive the Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Piety, Fortitude, Counsel, and Fear of God. It is with these gifts that we are then able to break the chains of the flesh and be lifted up to a higher awareness of ourselves and of God. We will be able to discern what is truly good and bad for us. We will also have the strength to overcome the obstacles to a new life and experience the true joy of what God really wants for us. Jesus invites us into this existence with a promise: He will give us rest from all the chaos and confusion that envelopes our lives. What was a confusing, frustrating life will melt away and reveal a pathway to perfection through Him. What was a rollercoaster ride with ups, downs, twists, and turns becomes a straight pathway to purpose and love.

God is the triumphant warrior, the Lord of Everything. There is no true battle or war when it comes to Him. He is already victorious because of who He is: Our Creator and Our Father. What we need to do is stop trying to fight Him and what He wants for us. We do not know better. We do not know what is best for ourselves. We need to become like little children again and approach Him with innocence and unconditional love. We can then be comforted and cared for like the children that we are. The Children of God.

Deacon Tom