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Master·evangeli.net

Today's Gospel + short theological explanation

Thursday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time
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Gospel text (Mt 11:28-30): Jesus said: “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.”

"God's yoke"

EDITORIAL TEAM evangeli.net (based on texts by Benedict XVI) (Città del Vaticano, Vatican)

Today, so that we may find rest for our souls, Jesus speaks of “His yoke” and of “His burden”. Jesus Christ is revealing to us two demands of love. First one: who falls in love wishes to submit ("sub-jugate") to the will of the beloved person. Second one: the lover, this way, moves forward toward his identification with the beloved, taking good "care" of him/her. This "yoke" is, precisely, the Law of God, a Law that frees us.

The subject of Freedom emerges there: the lover deliberately offers his/her Freedom at the service of the beloved. In this case, though, the freedom is not lost, but it becomes free of any straps and selfish entertainments. Our freedom entails an orientation (the commitment to the beloved). And, therefore, it is in sheer contradiction with everything that, while making believe it liberates men will, in fact, enslave them.

—O Lord, he who breaks his friendship with You, who shakes off Your “easy yoke”, does not attain freedom. On the contrary, he becomes slave of other powers.