I Will Give You Rest
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
Read this Gospel passage aloud to the family
Matthew 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.”
(Parent) Reread this part a few times aloud
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you…”
(Parent) Read this meditation aloud to the family
These days we are used to tractors and massive farm equipment, so the idea of a “yoke” doesn’t make much sense to us. A yoke is a relatively simple piece of equipment that is used for carrying loads or for plowing fields. It’s a beam with two large half circle rings hanging down from it. Through these rings, animals (often oxen) place their heads, while the beam sits across their shoulders. As the animals move together, they power the plowing or the carrying.
Life can be hard—sometimes very hard. We can get worn down—sometimes very worn down. God is not unaware of this. He knows that we are human, weak, and frail. And He cares! He knows and cares about each one of our personal burdens. Understand this: God does not want us to carry our burdens alone. He is willing—no, He wants—to help us carry our burdens. And He has the strength to do so. God can lighten our burden. In prayer, consider our greatest burdens; consider the difficulty of carrying these alone; consider Christ’s invitation. He invites us. Us! “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest…. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”
As a family, pray a portion of the Rosary together (very short if children are young) reflecting on the Scripture passage above. (Optional: allow a brief time for discussion or questions from children concerning their thoughts and prayer.)
Reminder for Parents: Pier is just meant to be a jumping off point. The real goal is that you pray & eventually use the fruits of your personal prayer as the content of your family’s prayer. Duc in altum.
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