July 20, 2017

July 20

July 20, 2017:  Thursday, 15th week, Ordinary Time

See a dozen connections with today?
Legend below
Listen

For 1st reading
    • Please comment below with other songs about God's name (I AM...) (not names of Jesus)
For Psalm 105

For the gospel
From Messiah/ Handel (also for gospel)
    My yoke is easy...
    (animate)
  • Ex 3:13-20  Moses / Lord in burning bush:  “When I tell the Israelites, ‘God sent me to you’ and they ask me, ‘What's his name?’ what shall I say?” / “Tell them, I AM sent me.  The Lord, God of your fathers, sent me to you.  Tell the elders, The Lord, God of your fathers, said, I'm concerned about you and how you're being treated, so I'll lead you out of your misery into a land flowing with milk and honey.  They'll heed you.  Then you and the elders shall tell the king:  The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, sent us word.  Let us go a three-day journey in the desert and offer sacrifice.  He won't let you go unless he's forced, so I'll stretch out my hand and smite Egypt.  Then he'll send you away.”
  • Ps 105:1, 5, 8-9, 24-27  "The Lord remembers his covenant for ever."  Give thanks to the Lord; make his deeds known.  He increased and strengthened his people; he sent Moses and Aaron to do his signs and wonders.
  • Mt 11:28-30  “Come to me, you burdened, and I'll give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I'm meek and humble of heart.  My yoke is easy, my burden light.”
Pope Francis Amoris Laetitia capsule:  Love's erotic dimension*
God created sexuality, a gift to be cultivated and directed to prevent its impoverishment.  Sexual desire is necessary, not to be looked down on.
People are called to full, mature spontaneity in relationships, the gradual fruit of discerning the heart's impulses; that calls for discipline and self-mastery, since we must learn our body's meaning.  Sexuality is an interpersonal language, taking the other's dignity seriously, in which the heart also participates in spontaneity.  The erotic is a human manifestation of sexuality enabling us to discover the body's nuptial meaning and the gift's dignity.  Sexual differentiation is a source of fruitfulness and procreation and can express the love in which a person becomes a gift.  Healthy sexual desire involves wonder.
We can't consider the erotic dimension of love as a permissible evil or a burden to tolerate for the family's good; it's a gift that enriches the spouses' relationship.  As a passion sublimated by a love respectful of the other's dignity, it becomes a pure affirmation revealing what the heart is capable of and helping us feel happy.  (IV:150-152)
*These capsules began last April, but I've paused them since 12 Jan. because there's usually been something else from news.va; I'm resuming them since the site hasn't been updated as often.
Reflect
    • Creighton:  The “art of living” was called wisdom (Gk. sophia, Heb. hochma); when you thought you met someone with it, you were drawn to imitate them.  In today's gospel Jesus implies that the laboring and burdened aren't doing fulfilling work, and the 'rest' he offers is a very different kind of labor.  Jesus’ yoke is the two-neck kind, with him at one neck.  He's saying, "Yoke yourself to me, share the burden with me, to learn meekness you'll find light and easy."  Christian wisdom is a Person, not a lifestyle.
    • One Bread, One Body:  "Rest stop":  Imagine coming to Jesus with a burden on your back, and him taking it, then putting his burden on your back, though it seems light because he's bearing most of it.  You're helping him carry the cross, rested and strengthened in doing so.  You boast of nothing but his cross.  We can't be unburdened, but we can be 're-burdened' with his cross, heavy but paradoxically easier to carry because Jesus carried it.  In striving to carry the cross we enter into his rest.  May we take up our cross daily.
      Burning bush/ Bourdon
    • Passionist:  Moses, knowing the Hebrews won't believe God sent him and they won't trust him, asks for God’s name so he can tell them who sent him; God responds “I AM.”  Moses comes to them on behalf of one with them, not far away; God says they'll heed him, as they did.  I doubt Moses found his yoke and burden easy or light; he struggled for 40 years.  Jesus is with us; he shared our human experience, knows our sufferings, and remains with us in his Word, the Eucharist, and the Church.  His presence with us eases our burdens.  God is with us as he was with Moses and the Hebrews....
    • DailyScripture.net:  "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me":   The Jews used the image of a yoke to express submission to God:  the yoke of the law, the commandments, the kingdom, God.  Jesus says his yoke is 'easy' (in Gk same as 'well-fitting').  Yokes were tailor-made for the oxen.  Jesus invites us to be yoked with him, united in life, will, and heart, in love, trust, and obedience.  Jesus says his "burden is light"; no burden is too heavy when given and carried in love.  When we yoke our lives with Jesus, he carries our burdens with us and gives us strength to follow his way of love, grace, and freedom....
    Come to me...
    Dress legend
    • 'Fire' and 'tree' pins:  Moses at burning bush (1st reading)
    • 'Cow' pin:  I'll lead you to the land of milk... (1st reading)
        • 'Honey' tie:  ...and honey (1st reading)
        • '?' tie pin:  Moses asked the Lord a question (1st reading)
        • 'Hand' tie pin:  "I'll stretch out my hand"  (1st reading)
        • 'Heart' pin:  The Lord changed the hearts of the Israelites' foes (psalm); "I'm meek and humble of heart" (gospel)
        • 'Children at school' pin:  "Learn from me" (gospel)
        • 'Clocks' suspenders:  "This is my name forever," 3-day journey (1st reading), the Lord remembers his covenant forever (psalm)
        • Green shirt:  Ordinary Time season

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