This blog follows the daily bible readings of the Catholic Church

Reading 1, Isaiah 26: 3-10

LORD, you keep those of firm purpose untroubled because of their trust in you.   4Trust in the LORD for ever, for he is an eternal rock.   5He has brought low all who dwell high in a towering city; he levels it to the ground  and lays it in the dust, 6 so that the oppressed and the poor may tread it underfoot. 7The path of the righteous is smooth, and you, LORD, make level the way for the upright. 8. We look to you, the path prescribed in your laws, your name and your renown are our heart’s desire. 9With all my heart I long for you in the night, at dawn I seek for you; for, when your laws prevail on earth, the inhabitants of the world learn what justice is. 10The wicked are destroyed; they have never learnt justice. Corrupt in a land of honest ways, they are blind to the majesty of the LORD.

I have substituted these verses for the dreadful mix of verses from the same chapter which the Lectionary compiler has chosen. It’s never good to omit verses from a passage, as it substitutes the compiler’s meaning for the author’s.

The passage above is a kind of psalm meditation on the justice of God. The difference between modern English and 17^th century English can be seen in the first sentence, which the KJV translates, “Thou shalt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee.” To be “stayed” on the Lord is to rejoice in his justice which tears down the proud and lifts up the poor; provides good laws for personal and public life; and destroys the wicked. Personal spirituality (I long for you in the night) is not separate from public justice (your laws prevail on earth).

The psalm demonstrates a balanced, healthy, faith.

Gospel, Mt 11:28-30

28 ‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest.

29 Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

30 Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.’

Jesus here is using the Jewish tradition of wisdom (See Proverbs 8), with which he identifies. A teacher’s yoke is his interpretation of God’s Law. Jesus sees that people are overburdened with the pharisaic interpretation, by which the life-giving commandments have been turned into a heavy weight. If Jesus is gentle and humble in heart, his opponents are by implication, violent and arrogant. Those who shoulder Jesus’ yoke will find that he is pulling with them. God’s command will become a joy once more. Some modern translations have tried to get away from the word “souls” but surely “rest for our souls” is something we understand and desire.