Come To Me

DECEMBER 07, 2022, WEDNESDAY

MEMORIAL OF SAINT AMBROSE, BISHOP AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH (White)

CYCLE A - YEAR I

Lectionary: 183

Reading 1

Is 40:25-31

To whom can you liken me as an equal?

says the Holy One.

Lift up your eyes on high

and see who has created these things:

He leads out their army and numbers them,

calling them all by name.

By his great might and the strength of his power

not one of them is missing!

Why, O Jacob, do you say,

and declare, O Israel,

“My way is hidden from the LORD,

and my right is disregarded by my God”?

Do you not know

or have you not heard?

The LORD is the eternal God,

creator of the ends of the earth.

He does not faint nor grow weary,

and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny.

He gives strength to the fainting;

for the weak he makes vigor abound.

Though young men faint and grow weary,

and youths stagger and fall,

They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength,

they will soar as with eagles’ wings;

They will run and not grow weary,

walk and not grow faint.

Responsorial Psalm

103:1-2, 3-4, 8 and 10

R.    (1)  O bless the Lord, my soul!

Bless the LORD, O my soul;

and all my being, bless his holy name.

Bless the LORD, O my soul,

and forget not all his benefits.

R.    O bless the Lord, my soul!

He pardons all your iniquities,

he heals all your ills.

He redeems your life from destruction,

he crowns you with kindness and compassion.

R.    O bless the Lord, my soul!

Merciful and gracious is the LORD,

slow to anger and abounding in kindness.

Not according to our sins does he deal with us,

nor does he requite us according to our crimes.

R.    O bless the Lord, my soul!

 

 

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Behold, the Lord comes to save his people;

blessed are those prepared to meet him.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mt 11:28-30

Jesus said to the crowds:

“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.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Jesus invites us to come to Him just as we are. He recognises the busyness of our lives, how we labour and are overburdened and draws us into his loving and gentle presence. He wants to listen to all of our troubles, and assures us that his yoke is easy and his burden is light. When we spend time with Jesus we find rest for our souls. He speaks to us in the silence of our hearts and gives us inner peace.

When the burden is so heavy that prayers cannot even be formed, lean on him. When you are too weary to lift your head, rest it on his shoulder, knowing that somehow your burden will be shared, lifted and eventually eased. He has said so, and he is faithful to his promises.

We can speak with Jesus as we would with any friend, sharing our joys, our struggles, our hopes, and our fears. He never grows tired of listening to us and constantly renews us with the gift of his love. What do I want to share with him now in this time of prayer?

PRAYER:

Lord, let me share your work. Open my eyes to the burdens borne by others. Open my heart to the pain that cannot be shared, to the fear that cannot be spoken, to those who face darkness alone.