The Gospel For Thursday, the 15th week in Ordinary Time is taken from Matthew 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. It’s not unusual for us to work out of our own ego, our own knowledge, our own strength. And when Jesus is realizing that people are burdened by trying to take care of all the things that they are responsible for, he’s saying, look, be more like me because what I have done in my work is I don’t do it by myself. I do it with my Father.

I’m humble, I’m meek. I trust in something inside of me that’s more than my humanity. And when you’re there, life is easier and your burden is much lighter. Foreign Father, it is not unusual for us to feel the burden of the responsibilities we have, and we want to take them seriously and we can’t do it on our own. So please bless us with an awareness of your wisdom, your strength, your understanding flowing through us as we struggle to take care of the things that you have given to us. And we ask this in Jesus name, Amen.