Rest For Your Soul (Fourteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time)

Reflection

Rest for your Soul

We live in the world of Covid-19.

We live in the world of digital pandemic.

We live in the world of economic crisis.

We live in the world of environmental degradation.

We live in the world of dishonest political power.

We live in the world of religious fundamentalism.

We live in the world of taxes.

We live in the world of natural calamities.

We live in the world of water crisis.

We live in the world of food shortages.

We live in the world of homelessness.

We live in the world of broken relationships.

We live in the world of individuality.

We live in the world of personal gain.

We live in the world of pleasure.

We live in the world of depression.

We live in the world of loneliness.

We live in the world of selfies.

We live in the world of fear.

We live in the world of difficulties.

We live in the world of joblessness.

We live in the world of discriminations.

We live in the world of inequalities.

We live in the world of pains.

We live in the world of sorrows.

We live in the world of sicknesses.

We live in the world of suffering.

We live in the world of fake news.

We live in the world of virtual relationships.

We live in the world of social media rather than in society.

We live in the world of meaningless traditions.

Overall, we can say that we are laden with many yokes throughout the day and night and throughout our life with one or the other, again and again.

In this time, Jesus exclaimed (Matthew 11:25):

“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 the little ones.”

Why did Jesus praise the Father, God in this time?

There should be a reason.

A reason is that God is the One, who created the heaven and the earth (Genesis 1:1).

I learn that God created all these heaven and earth in His order, image, likeness, and for His purpose when I say that God is the creator of heaven and earth.

We may argue that God did not create the heaven and earth.

It is the creation of religion and religious people.

I would like to ask a few questions to those who tell us that God did not create the heaven and earth:

Who has arranged the heaven and earth in order?

Who has designed all these plants, leaves, flowers, fruits, and so on so beautifully?

Why are all these planets, plants, birds, animals, and humans on this world?

What is the purpose?

Wise men and learned may not agree with the questions that I have asked.

As a believer of God, the Almighty, All Powerful, I can understand that God reveals this to the little ones, as to why God created the heaven and earth.

God is not revealing,

Because I am a wise man,

Because I am a learnt, and

Because I have a reason.

But,

Because, I have trust, belief, faith in God, the Creator.

It is not, because I trust.

It is not, because I believe.

It is not, because I have faith.

It is revealed to me,

The Gospel of Matthew says, “Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will” (Matthew 11:26).

Yes....

God is so gracious.

He showers me with His grace.

He showers me with His blessing.

It is not because I am wise, and learned but because God is gracious that He reveals to me this mystery in and through Jesus Christ as again we read in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 11:27):

“All things have been handed over to me by my Father.”

How does God reveal?

God humbly reveals His order, image, likeness, and purpose as we read from the Book of the Prophet Zechariah (Zechariah 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 saviour 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.”

He comes on an ass not on a horse.

He reveals Himself from tiny creatures to mammoth animals.

He reveals Himself from small flies to huge birds.

He reveals Himself from tiny seed to the tallest trees.

We can go on and on in His dominion over the earth.

But everything is gracefully revealed in a simple and humble way.