Most would know by now of the tragic event that has happened here at Saint Mary’s, Maryborough, yesterday, with the terribly sad discovery of a man who had died just outside the church building , in the side cloister, …. Our prayers and thoughts are with this man, and for his relatives….. we offer up the masses this weekend here in the parish for the repose of the soul of this man. May he now rest in the peace of God’s Kingdom in heaven. The whole parish community, and the wider Maryborough community are saddened and shaken by this tragic event. We also keep in our thoughts the parishioners who were her yesterday (Friday morning) at the 8am mass and who were close to the events as they unfolded… we are sensitive to what you have been through.
Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord. May perpetual light shine upon him, may he rest in peace. Amen. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
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6th July, 2008 14th Sunday Ordinary Time, Year A
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Often when we describe a yoke….. or a burden….. these words create the impression of hardship and difficulty……… and yet… its good to remind ourselves…… that a yoke was ultimately designed to be used in order to make easier….. to make manageable… and tolerable…. a heavy task…… a yoke allows a person or a n animal to lift a weight and carry a weight in a way that makes it possible and tolerable…over an extended period of time…….. so, it is in this sense that jesus uses the image of a yoke and a burden…… he has frequently warned his disciples and anyone who dared to follow him that there is a cost to discipleship……. that it would not be easy…. no guarantee of a dream run…….. it is a task…. a burden…..however…. it’s like that song…..
‘he’s not heavy… he’s my brother.’ The focus is not on the difficulty…. but the passion for the cause…. the goal…… the mission is to spread God’s love to all the world… in word and action…… and this is a wonderful vocation…….. it is a duty… a burden… a task…. but… it’s a task of love….. and in that sense ….. it makes the burden a light one….. and Christ bears the greater load….
Jesus also invites us to learn from him……. and what we have to learn is that Jesus is loving in all his dealings….. and he is gentle….. and humble……
it makes me wonder…..many hardships and burdens come our way throughout life…. some are avoidable…. some seem unavoidable………. but to what extent are some burdens made all the more heavier (more unbearable) …by the opposite of gentleness and the opposite of humility…….. Jesus also seems to be offering to teach us……. a path of gentleness….. compassion and love….. and a path of true humility of spirit….. can make many burdens so much lighter…
I think of a hypothetical example…. imagine that two people are experiencing the exact same difficulty…. a major burden and hardship in their lives…. and these people have the exact same circumstances…… the only difference is.,…. one is extremely proud….. unreasonably self-sufficient… refusing to face even the truth of their difficulty…. and railing against every development and turn of bad fortune…. whilst the other is gentle…. and humble…. accepting what cannot be changed… and (not so much giving up, but rather surrendering in humility) to the new situations and circumstances this person faces…. could it not be said that the one who is proud and forceful might be putting on themselves an even greater, unbearable burden than the other…… perhaps in this sense, Jesus means us to learn from him… and open up to his vision and response to the world and its events…
a yoke is also something used to join to creatures together so that they act as one… was Jesus saying… join yourself to me… join your hopes and cares… your fears and struggles to me…. and let me work with you as one…… and see what wonders will result…..
I love the meaning of this gospel today…. there is a deep and sturdy realism to the Gospel message Jesus offers us….. it is the perfect combination of idealism AND realism…… Jesus does not promise an easy ride…. but he does promise us that his WAY makes any burdens capable of being transformed by love ands service.
With the days in the diocese coming up this week… and with the excitement and grace of world youth day week next week too….. the church is going to be celebrating and experiencing and proclaiming this realistic joy, this practical hope……..
ours is not a joy borne out of denying the reality of the struggles and pains of life….. ours is a joy that says…. we are at peace… we are at rest… and we continue to love… even with the tragedies and tensions of sin and pain……. this is a message the world needs more than ever… this is the faith we unite in witnessing over the next two weeks.,… May God richy bless us and give us the joy, the rest and the relief that comes with this faith… and hope…..
Paul W. Kelly
Maryborough Qld 4650
Office: (07) 4121 3701
Fax: (07) 4121 2829
Phone 041 778 6456
Please visit our website: www.marycatholic.com
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