Gospel (Mt 11:25-30)

At that time Jesus declared,

“I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Commentary

Today the Church celebrates the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Sacred Heart is a symbol of divine love. The heart of Jesus is an expression of his complete self-giving and love for all men and women.

In 1675, Jesus told Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque that he wanted the Feast of the Sacred Heart to be celebrated on the Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi. In 1856, the feast of the Sacred Heart became a universal feast. Saint John Paul II, who had great devotion to the Sacred Heart, said: “This feast reminds us of the mystery of God’s love for the people of all times.”

When we refer to a person’s heart we think of their affections, their sentiments, their way of loving. Saint Josemaría said: “When Scared Scripture refers to the heart, it does not refer to some fleeting sentiment of joy or tears. By heart it means the whole person who, as we see in Jesus himself, directs both soul and body to what is seen as good: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."^[1]

To know what the Heart of Jesus is like, the Church presents us today with his prayer of praise to the Father. Jesus shows us his eagerness to praise the Father and that his message is addressed to those who are little. In contrast to those who refuse to believe in Him, Jesus is filled with joy for those who accept Him, the humble people, who do not trust in their own wisdom. This passage has been called the “jewel” of the synoptic Gospels, because it includes this prayer of Jesus, who calls God Father, and because Jesus presents himself to us as the one who knows God and who has received everything from Him, and who reveals Him to us, if we receive his words with humility.

His exclamation, “Yes, Father,” gives expression to what he holds deep in his Heart, and shows us his adherence to the will of the Father. It is an echo of his Mother’s fiat when saying yes to God’s plans, and a prelude to Jesus’ words during the agony in the garden, when he expresses his absolute acceptance of his Father’s plans.

Jesus frees us of our yoke. The law of Moses had become overburdened with the bonds of external practices. But Jesus establishes a New Covenant that draws all men and women through the bonds of love. His yoke is now light, because He himself bears it with us.

“Learn from me, for I am meek and humble in heart.” The word ‘meek” is also used in the Beatitudes, and in the Old Testament it refers to those who set aside their anger and place all their trust in God. “Thank you, my Jesus, and give us a heart to the measure of yours!”^[2]

Today is a day to go more deeply into the riches contained in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to trust that his Love is the deepest need of our own heart. Let us ask our Lady to help us to never stop being amazed by this mystery: that we ourselves are the treasure of the Heart of God.

^[1] Christ Is Passing By, 164.

^[2] Saint Josemaria, Furrow, 813.