THE WORD BECAME FLESH

Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent 

Jer 18:18-20

Ps 31

Mat 23:1-12

Whoever humbles himself

In the gospel reading (Mt 23:1-12), Jesus refers to the Pharisees as those who tie up heavy burdens and lay them on people’s shoulders. In contrast, Jesus had said earlier in Matthew’s gospel, ‘Come to me all you who labor and are overburdened and I will give you rest’. Jesus’ work consisted in lifting unnecessary burdens from people’s shoulders rather than laying such burdens on people’s shoulders. Most of us have to deal with burdens of one kind or another as we go through life. 

Some burdens are necessary and unavoidable; they are the burdens of love, the burdens that come to us from giving ourselves to others in one way or another. Jesus is critical of those who impose unnecessary burdens on others. We can all be guilty of doing that from time to time. Rather than imposing unnecessary burdens on others, our calling is to help carry each other’s burdens, to make life less burdensome for each other. In doing that we will be acting in the spirit of the one who said, ‘Come to me all you who labor and are overburdened and I will give you rest’. 

The Lord helps us all to carry our burdens, both the necessary and inevitable ones and the unnecessary ones. As St Paul knew from personal experience, he is strong in our weakness, and in times of weakness, we can turn to him for strength.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, teach me to be humble as you are humble and to love others generously with selfless service and kindness. Amen.

+Remain blessed!