09/11/2021

Jesus said that his yoke, which he laid on us, was easy and his burden light. I am not contradicting the words of our saviour but in my life it seems that St Paul is asking the impossible for maintaining the sinlessness to be a fitting place for God to be, for more than a second seems to be impossible. This is mere rhetoric but it is part of my reflections on today's mass readings.

St John tells us most realistically that the words of the saviour at the cleansing of all the shopkeepers out of the temple were not understood at the time they were spoken. Many of the words of Jesus' ministry must have caused real difficulties for those who heard them. What did the fishermen think on hearing "Drop everything that you are doing now or have planned for tomorrow and follow me." This was a command like no other heard before or since. The carpenter from Nazareth just stood there and told them what to do, and they did do as he commanded.

The words "This is my Body" must have been totally bewildering and disgusting to the Jews to whom they were addressed but the Resurrection makes it clear that Jesus is something greater than a human being. Jesus who is perfectly human from the time of his incarnation is also the Evergreater that is Father, Son and Holy Spirit and so he never tests us to breaking point. If I think that his yoke is not easy and his burden heavy it is because I am not truly availing myself of the grace that he has made freely available to those who ask. He is right! Asking is easy and no problem at all when faced with the abundance of Love that has created the World and maintains our life upon it.

Dear Lord each day I pray that I can be kept on the path through life that leads to you. Confirm me in my sincerity, enlighten my understanding and curb the flippancy that sometimes breaks out from the seriousness with which I bow down before you. May Mary pray that I may stop my racing mind and concentrate with faith on all the mysteries that she "pondered in her heart" and together with all the saints seek succour for the Holy Souls and for us too, living now on this earth.