December 11, 2013

Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent 
Lectionary: 183
Reading 1 IS 40:25-31

To whom can you liken me as an equal?
says the Holy One.

Who is like unto God?

Lift up your eyes on high
and see who has created these things:

Look at the sky. Look at the stars.  Who created all of that?

He leads out their army and numbers them,
calling them all by name.

God has named all of the stars.  God knows all His creatures.

By his great might and the strength of his power
not one of them is missing!

And He knows where they are.

Why, O Jacob, do you say,
and declare, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?

Why do evil and wicked men think they can hide anything from God?

Do you not know
or have you not heard?
The LORD is the eternal God,
creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint nor grow weary,
and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny.

Do you not know that God is all knowing?

He gives strength to the fainting;
for the weak he makes vigor abound.
Though young men faint and grow weary,
and youths stagger and fall,
They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength,
they will soar as with eagles’ wings;
They will run and not grow weary,
walk and not grow faint.

Those who hope in God will always be rewarded.

Responsorial Psalm PS 103:1-2, 3-4, 8 AND 10

R. (1) O bless the Lord, my soul!
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.

R. O bless the Lord, my soul!
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.

R. O bless the Lord, my soul!
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul!

Exhort yourself to praise the Lord.  God is all merciful and all gracious.  Turn to the Lord and praise His holy name!

Gospel MT 11:28-30

Jesus said to the crowds:
“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.”

Christ's yoke is light and easy.  But many claim that it is heavy.  They confuse the chains with which Satan has bound them with the merciful love of Jesus Christ.  It is the chains of Satan which they struggle to cast off.  But the yoke of Jesus Christ is easy to pull.