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The BreadCast


Daily Exposition of the Readings for Catholic Mass...

as well as Prayers to the Saints on the General Roman Calendar (for the U.S.).  

From the books Our Daily Bread and Prayers to the Saints by James H. Kurt - both with imprimatur.

Jul 19, 2023

(Ex.3:11-20;   Ps.105:1,5,8-9,24-27;   Mt.11:28-30)

 

“My yoke is easy and my burden light.”

 

I AM has come and led His people “up out of the misery of Egypt,” up out of slavery.  The heavy yoke of sin He breaks from our necks, and in its place we find His gentle presence.

How this world can make us weary!  How the Israelites suffered under the iron hand of the Pharaoh.  But the Lord says to them, “I am concerned about you and about the way you are being treated in Egypt.”  And He says to us the same: “Come to me, all you who are weary and find life burdensome, and I will refresh you.”  To Moses as proof of His presence He even gives His NAME, the silent WORD – “YHWH” – which speaks volumes of His being here and everywhere always: “I AM WHO AM.”  That gentle, all-present Spirit, that WORD that is Life, is made known to us now in Jesus, the WORD made flesh, He who is “gentle and humble of heart.”  And so salvation is fulfilled: release from slavery ultimately comes in the gentle yoke of the Son of God.  Let us place it upon our shoulders.

I repeat, this world can be burdensome.  As it works its way into our hearts and souls, it brings terrible chains which bind us.  As the culture of death which surrounds us in this land of exile finds inroads into our homes and penetrates our minds, it can bring a slavish weight to bear.  But though the prince of this world and his subjects might harden their hearts against the emancipating Word of God, though they might refuse to allow us to worship our God freely and with all our beings and belongings… yet the Lord “remembers forever His covenant”; from age to age His word is true.  And He shall not be lacking for “wondrous deeds,” “portents,” and “judgments” to assure His people’s freedom, to assure their coming gently and wholly into His sacred presence.

“I will stretch out my hand,” the Lord tells us.  He will stretch forth His hand and break the yoke from our backs with a word from His mouth.  And rest shall be ours.  Eternal rest in His sacred presence, in the light of His holy face, is inevitably ours as we follow in His humble ways. 

Come, brothers and sisters.  Fear not Pharaoh.  The evil upon us is passing away; only what is real, only what is of His Word – only I AM shall remain.  Take His yoke upon you, and be led gently forth.

 

*******

O LORD, by your NAME and by the Cross

we are unburdened of words,

unburdened of thoughts and fears –

let us walk with you!

YHWH, our burden you wish to remove, for our plight in this world you see, and take pity.  And so, wondrous deeds you work in our midst, wondrous deeds in the sight of the nations, that all might know that you are God, in whom all find their rest.

Your NAME you gave to Moses, LORD, to reassure his heart and show yourself to Him.  Knowing you, he could find faith in your goodness, in your eternal presence, and in your call upon his soul.  And so, in peace he could face all the difficulties that lay before him; so he could face the king of Egypt without fear.

And your greatest gift you give to us, dear God, in the coming of your Son, in the complete revelation of your goodness He is to us.  Does He not tell us that you are near, that you are always here to refresh our souls and make us whole?  And so, the burden of His Cross is light upon our shoulders.