What/Whom are we calling/inviting into our lives?

GOSPEL THOUGHTS

15^th Week – Thursday

Gospel –Matthew 11: 28-38

 

What/Whom are we calling/inviting into our lives?

“Come to me, all you who labour and are burdened and I will give you rest”

1) Jesus called a Special type of People to himself

a)  Jesus called those people who are heavily burdened with

·         Daily struggles of life

·         Social, political and religious discrimination

·         Poverty and  ignorance

·         Sickness and oppression by the higher class of people

·         Sins, social evils, and the power of the demons

b) Jesus also called those people who labor every day. People who are ‘labor’ means

·         They are not lazy people

·         They are hardworking people

·         They are sincere people

·         They are the people who work for the daily bread

·         They are the ones who depend on God

·         They earn their daily bread for the survival and not for greed or hoarding

·         They are simple people and ready for any work

·          They consider work is necessary and one need to earn his daily bread through the work

2) Why Jesus called these people to Himself

a) The Gospel is very clear that Jesus called these people to himself to give them rest. The rest Jesus gives symbolizes the following    

• New way of life
•    Peace of Mind
•  Enlightenment
• Forgiveness of their sins, salvation, eternal rest, 

b) Jesus gave rest to the People from the following things  

•  From their sickness·
• From the dominion of the Devil, evil spirit and Satan·
• From the religious laws which were enforced on them by the religious authorities
• From their narrow mentality, rigidity, social stigma, prejudices, superstitious beliefs, anxiety, unnecessary fears, and oppression and discrimination from the authorities and leaders

·        3) Jesus called to “Himself”

 a) Calling to himself is also important. This means

• He personally took interest in them
•    He was directly involved with them
•    He knew their problems and struggles through and through

 b) He did not send these people to someone else

•  He did not escape from his responsibility of attending them
• ·         He did not consider that someone else has to take care of these people
• ·         He did not say that it is not my work

4) What about my life. Whom are we calling? What are we calling?

a) Some are busy in calling only certain type of people. They like to call people

• ·         Those who are rich
• ·         Those who are very powerful
• ·         Those who are having lot of influence
• ·         Those people who are in a position
• ·         Those people who are externally beautiful
• ·         Those people from whom they get some benefits
• ·         Those people who do not challenge them
•      Those people who appreciate them for everything

b) There is another category of people who are by in calling in their life the following

•  They do not call people in their lives, rather they invite or desire things in life
• ·         They invite or desire money in their life
• ·         They invite or desire wealth in their life
• ·         They invite or desire power in their life
• ·         They invite or desire bodily and worldly pleasures in their life
• ·         They invite or desire position, authority, status, glory and pomp in their life 

c) There is another category of People who call the following type of people into their life

•   People like Mother Theresa called poor, unwanted, thrown out, and destitute to her life
•  People like Fr Damian called lepers and most degraded people in his life
•        These days there are many doctors, nurses and people those who are working in the Hospitals, invite all the COVID19 patients to treat them. They are our real heroes after the example of Jesus 
•    Those people who take lots of risk for the sake of others and to save their life also belong to this category

5) Jesus called to “give rest” and “not to exploit them”   

•  This is a very serious point to note in our lives. Today we see many people who invite many of their friends and others into their life in order to take advantage of their weaknesses  
•  Some People exploit their goodness and also the weakness
•   Some people betray the others
•    Jesus always gave rest to the others and that was the primary motto of His Mission.

 God bless you and your family. Praying for you and your dear ones.

Fr Maxim D’Souza

Jeppu Seminary

Mangalore